UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
AT   LOS  ANGELES 


UNIVERSITY  of  CALIFORNIA 

AT 

LUS  ANGELES 
LIBRARY 


THE 


LIBRARIES 


OF 


CALIFORNIA. 


CONTAINING  DESCRIPTIONS  OF  THE  PRINCIPAL  PRIVATE  AND 
PUBLIC  LIBRARIES  THROUGHOUT  THE  STATE. 


FLORA  HAINES  APPONYI: 


SAN  FRANCISCO: 

A.    L.    BANCROFT   AND    COMPANY. 

1.878. 


Copyright,  1878, 
By  FLORA  HAINES  APPONVI. 


T3n 


, 


C*f-| 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


C  PRIVATE  LIBRARIES. 

w  PAGE. 

William  Alvord San  Francisco . .    9 

Milton  Andros "            "          n 

Hubert  H.  Bancroft •...  "            "         ...  13 

Geoige  F.  Becker .Berkeley.. 61 

A.  S.  Bettelheim San  Francisco 62 

A.J.Bowie "            "          64 

J.  Ross  Browne 65 

A ,  Leon  Cervantes San  Luis  Obispo 67 

John  M.  Chretien Sam  Francisco 69 

Alfred  A.  Cohen  Alameda 71 

,            P.C.. 75 

W           Adley  H.  Cummins San  Francisco 81 

Horace  Davis "           "         90- 

">           Charles  and  M.  H.  DeYoung "           "         92 

.4           William  Doxey "           " 95 

JohnT.  Doyle. Menlo  Park 98 

John  B.  Felton Oakland 106 

H.  H.  Haight.... Alameda 108 

Ralph  C.  Harrison San  Francisco no 

Addison  E.  Head "           "         116 

George  Hewston "           "         118 

A.  P.  Hotaling "           "         121 

J.  F.  Houghton Oakland 123 

John  R.  Jarboe San  Francisco 125 

'         William  Ingraham  Kip "           "         135 

N^        Ralph  W.  Kirkham Oakland 139 

J         Delos  Lake San  Francisco '43 

w          Milton  S.  Latham "            "         '47 

J.           Albert  J.  LeBreton..    "            "         '5' 

NAc         John  LeConte Berkeley '55 

Joseph  LeConte ' "         156 

1          J.E.McElrath ...Oakland "57 

\J          Molera  and  Cebrian San  Francisco '59 

William  Norris. ...          "           "                     170 

v-.        A. A. O'Neill "           ••         175 

J~        Loring  Pickering... "           "         176 

5           William  H.  Platt "           "         «79 

O          T.  H.  Rearden ".         '         181 

^           R.C.Rogers •             •         187 

L.  S.  B.  Sawyer •            ' 188 

Wilham  Scott •            •           192 

Theodore  Shillaber....    '             '         194 

G.  V rank  Smith '             '         -198 

Leland  Stanford   '           "             201 

W.C.Talbot  '           ••         206 

R.A.Thompson Santa"  Rosa 208 

Joseph  W.  YVinans San  Francisco, 219 

R.  B.  Woodward Oak  Knoll 221 

W.  A.  Woodward San  Francisco 225 

Lorenzo  G.  Yates  ..  ...Ccntreville  ..  


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


I'AGE. 

I.  S.  Alemany San  Francisco 228 

FaxOD  D.  Atherton Fair  Oaks 228 

Charles  W.  Banks Oakland 228 

Henry  P.  Bowie ...San  Francisco 229 

James  \V.  Brown "  "  229 

Eugene  Casserly...... "          "         230 

D.IXColton "          "          230 

Daniel  Cook "  "          230 

Benjamin  D.  Dean "  "          230 

Joseph  A.  Donahoe "          "          230 

F.ldridge "          "          231 

Geary '          "          231 

Henry  George '  "          231 

Arpad  Haraszthy '  "          "2 

John  C.  Hall '  232 

"A.S.  Hallidie  '  •" -.   ...  232 

C.  C.  Keeney '  234 

R.H.Lloyd '  235 

John  T.  McGeoghegan ' 235 

J.P.Manrow '  235 

Mrs.  C.  L.  Maynard '  236 

A.  J.  Messing  ' 236 

R.  S.  Messick '  237 

John  Mone "  237 

Bernard  Moses Berkeley 238 

J.  Mora  Moss Oakland 238 

D.  J.  Murphy ,  .San  Francisco 239 

James  Murphy "  "          239 

Charles  Page "  "          239 

Gilbert  Palache "  "          .239 

H.  A.  Palmer  Oakland 239 

George  Frederick  Parsons Sacramento ....  240 

J.  P.  Pierce Santa  Clara 240 

Professor  Price San  Francisco 241 

Willard  P.  Rising Berkeley 241 

C.  P.  Robinson   San  Francisco 241 

John  H.  Saunders San  Rafael 241 

Horatio  Stebbin^ San  Francisco 242 

J.D.Whitney "          "         242 

PUBLIC  LIBRARIES. 

State  Library Sacramento 243 

University  of  California Berkeley . 251 

Mercantile  Library San  Francisco 261 

Mechanics' Institute "  " 269 

Odd  Fellows' Library "  "          277 

Law  Library "          "          286 

Art  Association     "  "          290 

La  Ligue  Nationale  Francais "  "          293 

California  Pioneers "  "          206 

Microscopical  Society "  " 298 

Knights  of  Pythias.etc "  "          209 

Y.M.C.A "          "          299 

San  Jose  Library  Association "  "          300 

Table  of  number  of  volumes  in  Law  Libraries  301 


INTRODUCTORY. 


IN  writing  of  the  private  libraries  of  California,  I  have  not 
sought  merely  to  represent  a  few  of  the  most  extensive  private 
collections  in  the  State,  but  have  attempted  rather  to  bring  to- 
gether records  of  the  books  belonging  to  the  reading  people  and 
bibliophiles  of  California.  Several  of  those  mentioned  have  but 
a  modest  number  of  volumes.  A  few  among  these  are  young 
men  with  small  incomes;  their  means  do  not  allow  them  to 
make  extensive  purchases,  and  many  a  sacrifice  is  made  to  procure 
a  coveted  work,  but  they  are  increasing  their  little  libraries  so 
steadily  and  so  intelligently,  that  the  day  will  come  when  their 
collections  will  be  counted  among  the  largest  and  most  impor- 
tant upon  the  coast. 

If  the  collector  be  a  man  of  family,  he  is  creating  in  his  home 
a  safeguard  for  his  children  that  all  the  elegant  furniture  and 
luxuries  in  the  world  could  not  effect.  If  children  cannot  find 
amusement  at  home  they  will  seek  it  abroad.  Even  if  the 
young  taste  runs  to  impossible  fairytales  and  nonsensical  stories, 
it  is  better  to  encourage  it.  These  are  only  beginnings.  Young 
people  will  always  have  a  season  of  reading  for  amusement  be- 
fore reading  for  profit. 

Many  library  owners  are  seriously,  annoyed  by  careless  book- 
borrowers,  who  either  re-lend  books,  or  keep  them  so  long  that 
they  forget  the  original  owner,  and  claim  them  by  the  law  of 
appropriation.  Individuals  of  otherwise  good  moral  character 
seem  to  have  no  sense  of  any  moral  obligation  in  regard  to 
borrowed  books.  If  they  should  borrow  garment,  a  fan,  a 
cane,  or  a  boot-jack,  from  a  friend,  they  would  be  punctilious  in 
returning  it.  But  when  they  borrow  a  book,  which  the  owner 
probably  values  much  more  than  garment,  utensil  or  money, 
they  either  ill  use  it  or  lend  to  another  friend,  who  will  in  turn 
lend  it,  and  when  the  book  finally  comes  back  to  its  original 
possessor,  it  is  in  a  condition  which  inspires  wrath  and  dismay. 
A  few  possessors  of  choice  libraries  have  suffered  so  much  by 
such  inroads  that  they  have  made  it  a  rule  not  to  lend. 


6  INTRODUCTORY. 

I  would  suggest  that  a  practice  already  adopted  by  some  of 
our  citizens  should  become  general.  These  gentlemen,  who 
lend  freely  to  friends,  keep  a  supply  of  little  blank  cards  always 
at  hand.  When  the  loan  of  a  book  is  requested,  they  make  a 
counter-request  that  the  borrower  shall  place  his  name,  together 
with  the  title  of  the  book  and  date,  upon  a  card,  and  drop  it 
into  a  little  drawer  for  the  purpose.  When  the  book  is  returned 
the  card  is  destroyed.  In  this  way  they  easily  keep  trace  of  their 
books,  and  find  that  it  also  protects  a  volume  from  ill  usage. 

In  passing,  it  would  be  well  to  state  that  where  a  book  or  set 
of  works  is  mentioned  in  one  library  and  not  in  another,  it  must 
not  always  be  taken  as  an  indication  that  it  is  not  included  in 
the  latter  collection,  unless  the  fact  is  explicitly  stated.  I  have 
endeavored  to  give  simple  and  truthful  accounts  of  the  various 
libraries,  public  and  private,  as  I  have  found  them,  with  a  men- 
tion of  their  most  interesting  features.  In  some  libraries  certain 
features  have  received  more  elaborate  notice  than  in  others. 
To  have  treated  all  in  the  same  manner  would  have  involved 
countless  repetition. 

It  is  with  mingled  pride  and  shame  that  this  record,  of  one 
literary  epoch  in  the  history  of  our  State,  is  presented  for  public 
inspection.  Californians  have  only  recently  had  time  or  thought 
to  devote  to  literary  culture.  "The  child  is  young,  but  is  it  not 
vigorous  for-  its  age  ?" 

On  the  other  hand,  a  number  of  wealthy  Californians  live 
in  superb  style.  They  have  palatial  mansions,  luxuriously  fur- 
nished. A  guest  is  regaled  with  the  most  sumptuous  food,  the 
most  costly  wines;  well-trained  servants  attend  his  slightest  bid- 
ding; he  is  driven  out  in  a  magnificent  equipage,  behind  blooded 
horses,  controlled  by  a  liveried  coachman.  But,  should  he 
desire  to  pass  a  quiet  hour  in  reading,  he  may  search  in  vain  for 
a  book.  Every  provision  is  made  for  the  comfort  of  the  body, 
nothing  for  the  refreshment  of  the  mind.  Among  these  million- 
aires are  a  few,  who,  in  the  rush  and  press  of  a  busy  life,  have 
simply  let  other  things  come  first.  The  majority  are  vain  and 
ostentatious,  with  a  vulgar  love  of  display  ruling  their  lives. 

To  this  latter  element  may  be  attributed  the  inspiration  dicta- 


INTRODUCTORY.  7 

ting  an  eloquent  description  of  the  diamonds  possessed  by  San 
Francisco  ladies,  which  followed  closely  upon  a  series  of  articles 
on  the  libraries  of  the  city  published  some  months  ago,  the 
spirit  of  which  was:  "  If  we  haven't  got  books,  we  have  got 
diamonds."  The  result  was  a  scathing  editorial  from  the  Lon- 
don Times,  of  September  ipth,  1878,  in  which  the  following 
passage  occurs: 

San  Francisco  does  not  care  for  art  and  learning;  it  has  not  been  educated  to  see 
beauty  in  an  intaglio.  A  brilliant  is  the  measure  of  its  taste,  and  we  cannot  affect  to  be 
surprised. 

The  public  libraries  will  speak  for  themselves.  Almost  with- 
out exception,  they  have  bravely  battled  with  adversity,  but  have 
reached  solid  land  at  last,  piloted  by  energetic  and  courageous 
men.  Aside  from  their  mission  as  popular  educators,  they  exert 
to-day  the  best,  and  almost  the  only  counteracting  influence,  to 
draw  the  youth  of  our  cities  away  from  the  dens  of  corruption 
enticing  on  every  hand. 

The  labor  involved  in  my  work  could  hardly  be  explained, 
and  the  unpublished,  but  not  unwritten,  portion  of  my  experi- 
ences is  undoubtedly  the  most  entertaining.  No  one  could  be 
more  painfully  aware  than  the  writer  of  the  imperfections  of 
the  work.  Had  the  support  been  better,  it  could  have  been 
better  and  more  elaborately  done.  The  public  libraries,  which  I 
have  taken  great  pains  to  well  represent,  have  given  me  no  reason 
to  hope  that  the  bare  cost  of  the  printing  will  ever  be  returned 
to  me,  much  less  any  recompense  for  my  time  or  trouble.  Alto- 
gether, it  has  been  a  faithful  and  arduous  labor  to  which  I  have 
devoted  many  months  of  time,  with  small  possibilities  and  less 
expectations  of  profit,  and  I  lay  it  down  with  a  sense  of  needed 
rest. 

To  those  who  have  given  me  sympathy,  as  well  as  valuable  co- 
operation in  my  work,  I  tender  my  sincere  thanks,  especially  to 
Mr.  H.  H.  Moore,  the  well-known  book  connoisseur,  whose 
assistance  has  been  especially  valuable. 

F.  H.  A. 

SAW  FRANCISCO, 

December,   1878. 


T  H  E 


PRIVATE  LIBRARIES 

OF  CALIFORNIA. 


WILLIAM  ALVORD. 

MR.  ALVORD,  for  many  years  president  of  the 
Art  Association  of  San  Francisco,  has  a  collection 
of  books,  numbering  a  little  less  than  one  thou- 
sand volumes,  devoted  to  miscellaneous  literature. 
A  large  proportion  of  these  books  relate  to  the 
subject  of  art,  consisting  of  choice  engravings,  lives 
of  famous  painters,  histories  of  art,  together  with 
the  most  valuable  modern  standard  works  on  the 
subject. 

The  collection  includes  Monuments  des  Arts  du 
Dessin,  by  Vivant  Denon;  Dccrits  et  Expliques, 
A.  Duval,  Paris,  1829;  Meyer  Von  Bremen's  Gal- 
lery; Etchings  for  the  Art  Union  of  London,  by 
the  Etching  Club;  Tuscan  Sculptures,  by  C.  C. 
Perkins;  D'Agincourt's  History  of  Art,  three  folio 
volumes,  thick  paper,  printed  only  on  one  side; 
Abrege  de  la  Vie  des  plus  Fameux  Peintres,  Paris, 
1745,  three  octavo  volumes;  Antiquities  of  Her- 
culaneum,  Martyn  and  Lettice,  London,  1773; 
Reciteil  de  Testes  de  Caracters  et  de  Charges,  des- 


IO  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

singes  par  Leo  DC  Vinci,  Florentin,  1730;  and 
Ansichtcn  aus  Griechenland,  by  Frommel. 

The  o-em  of  Mr.  Alvord's  collection  is  the  orig- 

o  o 

inal  manuscript  of  The  Culprit  Fay,  by  Joseph 
Rodman  Drake,  bound  with  every  edition  ever 
published  of  that  fine  poem  of  the  imagination, 
together  with  the  various  illustrations.  This  was 
presented  to  him  by  his  uncle,  Hamilton  W.  Robin- 
son, of  New  York.  In  speaking  of  this  poem, 
Fitz-Greene  Halleck,  the  authors  intimate  friend 
and  literary  partner,  quoted  the  following  line  from 
Campbell: 

"  Poetry  should  come  to  us  in  masses  of  ore,  that  require 
sifting." 

And  then  added :  ''  It  is  compact  with  imagination. " 
Among  works  of  art  decorating  the  walls  of  the 
somewhat  contracted  little  room  which  serves  as  a 
receptacle  for  the  greater  portion  of  the  books,  are 
two  rustic  scenes  by  Turner,  a  couple  of  superior 
engravings  of  Hero  and  Leander  and  Enee,  and  a 
remarkable  portrait  of  Washington  Irving  exe- 
cuted by  Erwin,  a  promising  artist,  formerly  of 
San  Francisco,  but  now  pursuing  his  studies  in 
Rome. 


MILTON  ANDROS. 

AMONG  our  citizens  are  a  few  to  whom  books  are 
a  necessity,  rather  than  a  luxury.  With  no  distinct 
purpose  of  collecting,  their  tastes  demand  them, 
just  as  the  artistic  eye  craves  artistic  surroundings, 
and  books  crystallize  about  them  naturally. 

Such  collections  are  very  unlike  those  gathered 
by  the  methodical  patron  of  literature,  who  acquires 
what  is  probably  a  more  systematically  arranged 
library;  but  they  possess  more  individuality,  be- 
coming, as  it  were,  exponents  of  the  tastes  of  their 
owners. 

To  this  class  belongs  the  library  of  Milton  An- 
dros,  numbering  between  two  and  three,  thousand 
volumes.  The  specialty  of  this  collection,  if  spe- 
cialty it  has,  is  in  the  department  of  history,  which 
is  unusually  complete  for  a  gentleman's  private 
library,  comprising  the  principal  standard  works, 
ancient  and  modern.  It  is  also  very  full  in  poetry 
and  the  drama,  with  all  the  British  and  almost 
all  the  American  poets,  and  the  British  dram- 
atists complete.  The  works  of  the  latter  consist 
of  different  editions  gathered  at  different  times. 
Altogether,  it  may  be  said  that  Mr.  Andros  has 
as  complete  a  collection  in  these  departments 
as  will  be  found  in  the  library  of  any  gentleman 
not  having  a  special  hobby  in  that  direction.  He 
also  has  a  complete  edition  of  the  British  Essayists. 


12  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

Biography,  the  classics,  science  and  romance,  are 
well  represented,  and  there  are  a  goodly  number 
of  standard  works  of  reference.  The  library  also 
embraces  an  interesting  collection  of  antiquarian 
researches,  and  all  the  books  of  African  travel  and 
exploration  procurable. 

No  special  attention  has  been  shown  to  bindings 
in  this  library,  some  of  the  books  being  in  hand- 
some attire,  others  in  plain  dress,  just  as  they  have 
been  picked  up.  One  of  the  choicest  editions  is 
Scott's  complete  works,  issued  by  Black  Brothers 
of  Edinburgh,  in  one  hundred  volumes,  really  more 
desirable  in  many  respects  than  the  prized  Abbots- 
ford  edition.  Mr.  Andros  has,  also,  many  rare  edi- 
tions of  the  life  of  Milton,  and  his  works,  including 
the  large  paper  edition,  four  volumes,  royal  octavo. 


HUBERT  H.  BANCROFT. 

OF  all  books  printed,  probably  not  more  than 
half  are  ever  read.  Many  are  embalmed  in  public 
libraries;  many  go  into  private  quarters  to  fill 
spaces;  many  are  glanced  at  and  put  away  for 
future  reading  or  reference.  Hundreds  of  tons  of 
public  documents  are  carted  from  government  print- 
ing-offices around  unclean  commercial  corners  to 
the  paper-mill;  while  by  far  the  greater  part  of  the 
effusions  sent  by  self-admiring  law-makers  to  their 
constituents  are  scarcely  opened  until  the  fire 
needs  kindling. 

The  most  ardent  book-lovers  are  not  always  the 
greatest  readers;  indeed,  the  rabid  bibliomaniac 
seldom  reads  at  all.  To  him  books  are  as  ducats 
to  the  miser,  something  to  be  hoarded  and  not  em- 
ployed. Jn  the  elegant  apartment  of  the  average 
collector,  in  himself,  his  wife,  or  children,  we  should 
hardly  look  for  the  best-improved  minds.  Con- 
noisseurs in  bindings  and  editions  have  little  taste 

o 

left  for  the  higher  art. 

Your  true  scholar  will  study  a  few  books,  in- 
stead of  rambling  through  many.  The  libraries  of 
professional  men  are  for  reference  rather  than 
reading.  Educational  works  are  the  apparatus  of 
mental  gymnastics,  making  no  pretensions  to  in- 
tellectual nourishment;  they  are  conned,  not  read. 
How  few  are  read  of  all  the  millions  of  bibles  sent 


14  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

from  the  teeming  presses  of  the  devout  in  various 
languages  to  convert  the  world ! 

Some  affect  books  who  care  nothing  for  them; 
yet  all  refined  persons  love  their  mute  companion- 
ship, and  will  have  it,  though  they  may  not  read  a 
page  a  fortnight.  Whether  from  love  or  affecta- 
tion comes  the  prompting,  this  harvesting  of  ripen- 
ed and  recorded  thought  is  the  most  delightful  of 
accumulatings.  So  pleasant  it  is  to  buy  books;  so 
tiresome  to  utilize  them. 

Now,  to  buy  books  as  one  buys  furniture  is 
one  thing ;  to  gather  for  intelligent  and  progressive 
purpose  is  quite  another.  In  the  former  instance, 
beauty  and  rarity  are  considered;  in  the  latter,  only 
intrinsic  merit.  Not  that  he  who  most  keenly  ap- 
preciates authorship  must  necessarily  be  insensible 
to  elegance,  or  even  to  the  baser  satisfaction  of 
having  what  few  possess.  But  to  set  great  store 
on  bindings,  rare  editions,  or  even  illustrations;  to 
care  more  for  the  leather  and  pasteboard,  the  paper 
and  pictures  and  print,  than  for  the  sparks  of  im- 
mortal mind  that  illuminate  the  pages,  seems  to  the 
earnest,  thoughtful  man  a  trifling  with  the  higher 
good.  Yet  the  most  slovenly  pedant  need  not 
complain  if  another  prefers  his  immortality  gilt- 
edged  and  embossed. 

In  whichsoever  category  we  place  Mr.  Hubert 
H.  Bancroft  and  his  twenty  thousand  volumes,  cer- 
tain it  is  that  both  signify  action,  performance. 
The  collection  is  a  means,  not  an  end.  Collecting 


HUBERT    H.    BANCROFT.  15 

is  the  least  part  of  it;  is,  indeed,  only  the  beginning 
of  something  infinitely  greater,  wherein  fact  absorbs 
fancy.  To  him  material  conditions  are  shadows; 
only  ideas  are  substance.  A  soiled  dime  tract  he 
might  possibly  regard  as  tenderly  as  the  six  thou- 
sand dollar  Mexican  Concilios  Provinciates  manu- 
script. Not  that  the  collecting  was  a  slight  affair, 
or  easily  accomplished.  In  some  respects  it  was 
as  novel  as  the  subsequent  utilization.  First,  a  field 
was  chosen,  a  fresh  field,  the  western  portion  of 
North  America.  Everything  possible,  written  or 
printed  within  this  territory,  or  elsewhere  if  relating 
to  it,  was  purchased. 

So  far,  there  was  nothing  remarkable  about  it. 
Time,  money,  and  enthusiasm  in  a  score  of  years 
can  accomplish  something  in  any  direction.  But 
it  so  happened  that  throughout  a  portion  of  Mr. 
Bancroft's  territory  printed  matter  respecting  it  was 
scarce  and  exceedingly  trashy.  In  Mexico  and 
Central  America,  where  history  recorded' in  Latin 
characters  runs  back  nearly  four  centuries,  and  in 
aboriginal  hieroglyphics  as  many  more,  books  and 
manuscripts  were  abundant.  All  that  was  neces- 
sary was  to  watch  opportunity  and  buy  as  authors 
would  sell. 

But  throughout  the  vast  region  north  of  Mexico ; 
throughout  the  Californias  and  their  collateral  ter- 
ritories, Arizona,  New  Mexico,  Utah,  Nevada; 
throughout  the  Oregon  country,  which  included 
Washington.  Idaho  and  Montana;  in  British  Colum- 


I  6  PRIVATK    LIBRARIES. 

bia  and  Russian  America,  there  was  little  in  printed 
books  that  could  be  called  history,  science,  or  any- 
thing else. 

What,  then,  was  to  be  done  for  a  literature  here? 
Make  one.  History  would  do  for  a  beginning-,  and 
if  this  was  not  to  be  found  in  books,  there  was 
plenty  of  it  in  the  air,  in  the  mouths  of  men,  and  in 
yet  more  substantial  shape.  First,  there  were  the 
archives  of  the  missionaries,  and  of  the  settlers  who 
came  immediately  after  them;  the  letters  and  jour- 
nals of  fur-traders,  and  the  records  kept  at  their 
several  forts.  Some  of  the  mission  archives  had 
been  carried  away  to  Mexico;  some  remained.  The 
pueblo  archives  had  been  partially  gathered  by  the 
government;  and  throughout  the  north  the  records 
of  the  fur-companies  had  been  kept  by  the  great 
companies  representing  government,  but  only  par- 
tially. Much  remained  to  be  unearthed. 

Mr.  Bancroft's  library  is  rich  in  manuscripts,  and 
his  manuscripts  are  richest  in  California  history. 
Fourteen  men  in  ten  months  placed  upon  his 
shelves  copies  and  abstracts  of  the  three  hundred 
volumes  of  documents  lodged  in  the  United  States 

o 

Surveyor-General's  office  in  San  Francisco.  But 
thrice  as  much  more  remained  of  this  kind  of 
material,  which  was  by  no  means  so  accessible. 

There  were  yet  collections  of  Spanish  docu- 
ments at  Santa  Barbara,  Santa  Cruz,  and  other 
missions;  in  the  public  offices  at  San  Diego,  Los 
Angeles,  San  Luis  Obispo,  Ventura,  Salinas,  and 


HUBERT    H.    BANCROFT.  I/ 

Santa  Clara;  in  the  hands  of  the  old  Californian 
families,  such  as  Bandini,  De  la  Guerra,  Castro, 
Alvarado,  Pico,  Estudillo;  or  treasured  by  such  col- 
lectors as  Hayes,  Larkin,  Vallejo,  and  the  Arch- 
bishop of  San  Francisco. 

Nor  was  this  all.  In  the  memory  of  men  still 
living  was  treasured  more  of  living,  breathing  his- 
tory, aye,  ten  times  as  much  as  had  ever  been 
placed  on  record  in  any  shape.  Here  then  was  the 
arduous  part  of  it;  to  gather  from  a  thousand 
quarters  volumes  or  scraps^  to  fasten  to  paper  the 
fleeting  recollections  of  men  whose  numbers  death 
every  day  lessened.  This  Mr.  Bancroft  did.  Thus 
far  it  was  his  greatest  achievement;  and  the  hun- 
dreds of  dictations,  narratives,  and  manuscript  his- 
tories standing  upon  the  shelves  of  his  library 
to-day,  and  which,  but  for  him,  never  would  have 
been,  attest  his  diligence.  It  is  impossible  to  over- 
estimate the  value  of  this  rich  mass  of  material, 
rescued  absolutely  from  oblivion ;  and  upon  which, 
to  a  great  extent,  the  history  of  this  country  must 
forever  rest. 

The  same  thing  has  been  done  in  Oregon, 
Washington,  British  Columbia,  and  Alaska.  All 
these  fields  Mr.  Bancroft  has  personally  visited  and 
labored  in,  with  the  exception  of  the  last-men- 
tioned, whither  he  sent  an  agent,  a  Russian  gentle- 
man who  belonged  to  his  corps  of  assistants. 

The  mere  mention  of  one  in  a  hundred  of  these 
precious  manuscripts — and  we  could  here  do  no 


I  8  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

more — would  convey  little  idea  of  what  they  are; 
and  feeling  that  but  poor  justice  has  been  done 
this  part  of  the  collection,  we  must  pass  on  to 
other  subjects. 

The  field  next  in  importance  is  Mexico,  the 
cradle  of  the  northern  settlements,  in  whose  rec- 
ords lie  buried  the  germs  of  their  history.  The 
facilities  which  enabled  Mr.  Bancroft  to  form  his 
immense  California  collection  of  manuscripts  do  not 
exist  with  regard  to  Anahuac,  and  his  documents 
on  that  region,  although  more  numerous  than  those 
possessed  by  any  other  collector,  are  not  nearly  so 
bulky  as  the  California  material;  but,  then,  they 
possess  the  extra  attraction  of  venerable  age. 
They  embrace  unpublished  letters  and  chronicles 
by  military  participants  in .  the  conquest  of  the 
Nahua  and  Maya  countries,  by  religious  fathers 
who  carried  forward  their  work  with  the  cross,  and 
by  eye-witnesses  of  the  historic  evolutions  that 
followed. 

Among  the  earliest  of  the  original  Mexican 
manuscripts  is  a  pastoral  letter  in  Latin,  of  1534, 
by  Joannes  de  Zumarraga,  the  first  bishop  of 
Mexico,  whose  zeal  was  surpassed  only  by  his 
bigotry,  and  who  owed  his  preferment  to  the  ad- 
miration of  Charles  V.  for  his  piety.  Within  its 
musty  parchment  cover  lies  also  the  approbation 
of  Queen  Juana,  signed  Yo  LA  REYNA.  An  older 
manuscript,  but  of  no  historical  value,  is  the  hom- 
iletic  of  Gregory  the  Great. 


HUBERT    H.    BANCROFT.  19 

Moralia  S.  Gregorii  Pape,  in  thirty-five  books, 
and  in  double-columned  Latin  text;  the  small,  close 
Gothic  lettering  of  the  fourteenth  century,  is  a 
marvel  of  evenness  and  caligraphic  skill.  The 
numerous  marginals  and  references,  in  Greek  style, 
and  the  preface  and  index,  which  are  in  larger  and 
more  open  letters,  and  of  a  later  period,  present 
less  excellencies.  The  running  title  consists  of 
blue  roman  numerals  with  red  tracery,  accompanied 
at  times  by  an  index  to  the  contents  of  the  page, 
in  the  same  style  as  the  marginals.  The  chapter 
divisions  are,  on  the  other  hand,  marked  in  black 
Arabics,  and  the  same  figures  in  red  are  used  to 
number  the  lines.  The  books  begin  with  large 
blue  head-pieces,  adorned  with  intricate  tracery  in 
red  and  blue,  smaller  initials  of  the  same  class  being 
used  at  the  head  of  the  rare  paragraphs,  while 
every  sentence  starts  with  a  red  letter.  In  the  in- 
dex these  initials  are  very  profuse,  and  occur  in 
alternate  red  and  blue.  Red  underlining  is  also 
frequent,  but  rubrics  are  rare.*  This  monument  of 
the  patient  labor  of  monastic  clerici  forms  a  thick 
folio  volume  of  vellum  leaves,  bound  in  parchment- 
covered  pasteboard,  and  bearing  on  the  recto  of 
the  cover  a  triangular  shield  with  colored  em- 
blazoning. 

Less  artistic,  but,  perhaps,  more  curious  speci- 
mens of  illuminated  manuscripts  are  contained 
within  antique-looking  parchment  covers,  several 
bound  with  thongs,  which  are  protected  from  dust 


2O  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

either  by  a  flap  that  extends  from  one  side  of  the 
cover,  or  by  a  fastening  of  thong  hooks,  and  but- 
tons. Among  these  is  the  Colegio  de  Nuestra 
ScTwr'a  de  Guadahipe  de  Zacatecas,  Escriptura  de 
Protestation,  a  pious  address  in  large,  irregular 
chirography  of  nine  lines  to  the  black-bordered 
octavo  page,  illustrated  with  dazzling  pictures  and 
title  page  in  irisated  colors.  A  better  illustration 
of  caligraphic  art,  and  at  the  same  time  an  interest- 
ing type  of  the  visionary  writings  wherein  the  con- 
vent recluse  delighted,  is  furnished  by  Angeles, 
Grandezay  Excelencia  de  los  siete  principes,  which 
consists  of  a  series  of  prayers  and  allegories  on 
Heaven  and  its  inhabitants,  with  an  octosyllabic 
ode  in  triple  measure  and  assonant  rhyme,  and  with 
learned  marginal  references. .  The  careful  Roman 
lettering  is  illuminated  with  a  profusion  of  rubri- 
cated head-lines,  quotations,  and  capitals. '  Equally 
profuse  in  rubrics,  and  head-pieces  in  red  and  blue 
ink,  is  the  Sermones,  In  Festis,  written  in  the  six- 
teenth century.  Among  other  religious  manu- 
scripts, in  more  or  less  artistic  penmanship,  may 
be  noticed,  the  diffuse  Obra  of  the  Canon  Conde  y 
Oquiendos,  in  two  volumes,  on  the  apparition  of 
Nuestra  Senora  de  Guadalupe;  Frey  Hieroni  Bap- 
tista's  treatise  on  the  canons  regulating  marriage, 
bearing  the  autograph  of  the  friar;  Amadei, 
Apocalypsis,  a  folio  collection  of  sermons,  hymns, 
and  allegories;  and  Fray  y.  de  Schevelar,  Ques- 
tiones  sobre  la  Regla  de  San  Francisco, 


HUBERT    H.    BANCROFT.  21 

Turning  from  these  curious  rather  than  intrin- 
sically valuable  books,  we  come  to  the  gem  of  the 
collection,  the  costly  Concilios  Provinciates  Mexi- 
canos,  in  four  large  parchment-covered  volumes, 
which  form  the  original  record  of  the  proceedings 
of  the  first  three  ecclesiastic  councils  of  Mexico, 
held  in  the  sixteenth  century.  This  invaluable  por- 
tion of  a  national  treasure  had  found  its  way  to 
Europe,  probably  through  the  gross  negligence  of 
the  same  class  before  whose  bigotry  fell  the  aborig- 
inal records  during  the  early  days  of  the  conquest. 
Mr.  Bancroft  was  fortunate  enough  to  discover  and 
secure  the  prize.  The  acts  recorded  in  these  vol- 
umes, together  with  the  petitions  and  communica- 
tions, on  civil  as  well  as  religious  affairs,  submitted 
to  the  councils,  bear  the  autographs  and  seals  of 
sovereigns,  church  dignitaries,  officials,  and  leading 
civilians.  They  contain  the  decrees  by  which  a 
then  all-powerful  church  regulated  the  secular 
and  ecclesiastic  administration  of  Spanish  North 
America,  and  with  which  it  left  its  impress  on  a 
race.  The  first  council,  which  sat  in  1555,  under 
Archbishop  Alonso  de  Montufar,  of  Mexico,  issued 
a  reglamento,  in  ninety-three  chapters,  for  the  rule 
of  parishioners,  clergy  and  Indians;  and  the  second 
met  under  the  same  presidency  to  adopt  the  reso- 
lutions of  the  council  of  Trent,  and  some  additional 
canons.  Despite  the  comprehensiveness  of  these 
decrees,  it  was  found  necessary  to  hold  a  third 
council  in  1585,  under  the  able  Pedro  Moya  y  Con- 


22  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

treras,  as  archbishop  and  viceroy,  assisted  by  six 
prelates,  by  whom  the  previous  acts,  as  well  as 
those  of  the  later  council  of  Lima,  were  partially 
incorporated  in  the  five  books  of  enactments,  which 
became  the  standard  authority  for  priests  and  laity 
throughout  the  northern  continent.  The  paper  on 
which  the  acts  are  written  is  rough,  with  frayed 
edges,  and  the  chirography  is  most  varied,  and  even 
intricate,  while  the  text,  contrary  to  what  might  be 
expected  from(a  council  of  prelates,  is  in  Spanish, 
with  only  occasional  Latin  paragraphs.  Some  of 
the  communications  addressed  to  the  prelates  are 
almost  ludicrous,  albeit  of  considerable  value  in 
depicting  the  condition  of  society  and  affairs  at  that 
time.  While  one  urges  the  necessity  of  checking 
the  growing  vanity  of  women,  another  suggests  re- 
strictions on  their  intercourse  with  monks  and 
priests,  and  a  third  petitions  that  moderate  gam- 
bling among  the  clergy  may  not  be  interfered  with. 
The  autographs  form  a  great  attraction,  not  only 
from  the  illustrious  character  of  the  names,  but 
from  the  curious  outline  of  the  letters  and  rubricas. 
There,  among  others,  may  be  seen  the  autocratic 
signature,  Yo  EL  REY,  of  Philip  II,  the  scarcely 
less  imposing  patronymic  of  the  viceroy,  and  the 
revered  signature  of  the  monk-prelate,  often  re- 
stricted to  the  modest  initial,  while  certain  person- 
ages and  corporations  limit  themselves  to  mere 
rubricas.  The  proceedings  of  the  first  and  third 
council  were  published  several  times  in  more  or 


HUBERT    H.    BANCROFT.  23 

less  incomplete  form,  copies  of  which  also  exist  in 
the  collection. 

The  acts  of  a  fourth  council,  held  in  17/1,  exist  in 
two  manuscript  volumes,  formerly  belonging  to  the 
Mexican  Imperial  Library,  but  they  do  not  appear 
to  have  been  of  much  importance  compared  with 
those  of  the  preceding  councils.  In  a  neatly  writ- 
ten folio  volume,  in  blue  velvet  cover,  containing 
the  revised  catechism  by  this  council,  may  be  seen 
the  autographs  of  the  celebrated  primate  Lorenzana 
and  his  five  episcopal  coadjutors.  The  council  can 
have  signed  but  a  few  copies,  and  this  specimen 
must  accordingly  be  considered  rare.  The  gor- 
geously illuminated  title-page  lends  it  additional 
interest. 

The  division  of  political  history  is  rich  in  early 
originals  and  copies  of  documents  bearing  on  Mex- 
ico and  Central  America.  Many  of  the  former 
class  belonged  at  one  time  to  the  Imperial  Library, 
while  the  copies  have  been  obtained  from  archives 
in  Spain  and  elsewhere.  Zurita,  Brebe  y  Siimaria 
Relational  1554,  in  parchment  binding,  is  a  lengthy 
dissertation  on  the  tribute  system  before  and  after 
the  conquest,  addressed  to  the  king  by  this  oidor. 
The  Libro  de  Cabildo  relates  to  the  municipal  acts 
of  the,  Mexican  capital  from  1524  to  1529,  and  in- 
cludes the  names  of  early  settlers.  Among  the 
chronicles  are  the  bulky  volumes  of  Duran's  His- 
toria  de  las  Indias  de  la  Nueva  Espana,  in  three 
tratados,  on  the  ancient  history  of  the  Indians,  and 


24  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

their  feasts  and  rites,  of  which  one  volume  only 
has  been  published  lately.  The  oldest  copy,  at  the 
BibHbteca  Nacional,  Madrid,  dated  1571,  contains 
several  colored  illustrations.  Its  claim  to  beincf  an 

^ 

original  has  of  late  been  disputed  on  the  ground 
of  misspelling  of  Indian  names  with  which  Duran, 
as  a  Mexican  on  the  mother's  side,  was  known  to 
be  familiar.  To  the  same  subject  is  devoted  a 
goodly  portion  of  the  still  older  Historia  Apolo- 
getica,  and  Historia  de  las  Yndias,  by  Las  Casas, 
the  champion  of  the  oppressed  natives.  Some  of 
these  volumes  have  lately  been  taken  in  hand  by 
the  printer.  To  this  period  belong  the  letters  of 
Cerezeda  to  the  king,  dated  1529  and  1533,  and 
describing  the  state  of  affairs  in  Nicaragua  and 
Honduras.  A  collection  of  extracts  in  Spanish, 
from  Munoz,  marked  Central  America,  1545-55, 
relate  to  the  history  of  this  region,  and  so  do  Ve- 
lasco,  Carta  escrita  al  Rey,  1558,  on  the  French 
inroad  in  Honduras,  and  Coronado,  Relation,  1562, 
of  conquests  in  Costa  Rica.  Invaluable  for  the 
history  of  the  northern  provinces  of  Mexico  are  the 
bulky  Documentos  para  la  Historia  Ecclesiastica 
y  civil  de  la  Nueva  Vizcaya,  Mater  iales  para  la 
Historia  de  Sonora,  and  Documentos  para  la  His- 
toria de  Texas,  which  consist  of  reports  and  jour- 
nals formed  by  priests  and  officials  during  the  sev- 
enteenth and  eighteenth  centuries,  and  collected 
from  the  Mexican  general  archives.  A  portion  of 
them  have  appeared  in  the  published  collection  of 


HUBERT    H.    BANCROFT.  25 

Documentos  para  la  Hist  or  ia  de  Mexico.  Mc- 
morias  de  Mexico  is  a  collection  of  documents  on 
the  history  of  the  capital,  with  particular  reference 
to  the  foundation  of  her  convents,  illustrated  by  a 
pen  map  and  plan  of  the  city  and  surrounding  coun- 
try, dated  1618.  Another  municipal  history  is  Al- 
cala,  Description  de  Puebla,  in  two  parts,  carried 
to  i  769,  and  containing  a  full  account  of  its  build- 
ings, interspersed  with  sonnets  and  odes.  The 
crudely  colored  town  plan  and  map  of  the  district 
exhibit  a  striking  array  of  dark-green  peaks  and 
red-topped  houses,  while  the  rather  faded  writing- 
is  relieved  by  numerous  head-pieces  in  foliage 
tracery.  Rivera,  Diario  Curioso,  is  a  chronicle  of 
events  in  Mexico  from  167610  1696,  with  a  preface 
by  the  hand  of  Bustamante,  to  whom  the  work  had 
with  reckless  generosity  been  presented  by  the 
librarian  of  the  University  of  Mexico.  In  this  case, 
however,  the  gift  was  judicious,  for  Bustamante 
published  the  document  in  the  Alusej  Mexicano  of 
1843.  A  similar  Diario,  by  Gomez,  of  events 
from  17/6  to  1798,  has  also  a  preface  by  Busta- 
mante, and  an  appendix  of  printed  matter.  Mex- 
ico, Archivo  General,  is  the  title  of  a  collection 
from  this  archive  of  curious  biographies  of  Mexican 
kings  and  martyrs,  in  connection  with  which  may 
be  noticed  the  Vida  de  Beatrix  de  Silva,  the 
founder  of  the  order  of  Primera  Concepcion. 

To   the   following  century  belong  the  valuable 
Cronica  de  la  Provincia  de  S.  Pedro  y  S.  Pablo  de 


26  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

Jllcchoacan^irom  1522  to  1575,  by  Beaumont,  who 
appears  to  have  been  a  doctor  and  man  of  the 
world  before  he  retired  from  social  vanities  to  the 
purer  companionship  of  friars.  A  want  of  judg- 
ment is  shown  in  the  application  of  his  extensive 
research,  and  the  influence  of  the  monastery  is  ap- 
parent in  the  style.  Several  bright  water-color 
drawings  help  to  illustrate  the  most  remarkable 
incidents,  and  the  copyist  has  added  a  specimen  of 
his  artistic  skill  in  a  pillar  frame  for  the  title  page. 
What  Beaumont  did  for  Michoacan,  Mota  Padilla 
accomplished  for  the  country  northward  in  the 
Historia  de  la  Conquista  de  la  Nueva  Galicia, 
folio,  Guadalajara,  1 740,  which  embraces  the  polit- 
ical and  ecclesiastical  history  from  the  conquest  to 
the  date  of  the  book.  The  original  is  said  to  exist 
in  the  Biblioteca  del  Carmen,  but  several  copies  are 
extant,  as  well  as  a  faulty  printed  issue  in  El  Pais,  a 
periodical  of  1856.  and  a  better  edition  in  book 
form,  of  1872,  by  the  Mexican  Geographical  So- 
ciety. Padilla  had  also  turned  churchman,  after 
holding  the  important  position  of  fiscal  to  the 
Audiencia  of  Guadalajara,  and  other  offices,  which 
doubtless  helped  to  fit  him  for  his  future  work. 

The  Representation  Politico  Legal  of  Aumada, 
the  advocate  of  the  Mexican  Audiencia,  is  a  plea 
for  the  free  admission  of  Spanish  Indians  to  secular 
and  ecclesiastical  offices;  wherein  may  be  found 
many  of  the  causes,  in  the  form  of  race  prejudice 
and  oppression,  which  gave  rise  to  the  war  of  inde- 


HUBERT    H.    BANCROFT.  27 

pendence.  In  support  of  this  plea  appeared  the 
Representation  Umilcte,  of  May  2,  1771,  by  the 
Ayuntamiento  of  the  capital.  Cartas  Americanas, 
Oueretaro,  1812,  in  two  volumes,  contain  a  transla- 
tion from  the  Italian  of  the  learned  epistles  by 
Bianchi,  dated  1777-9,  on  tne  sunken  Atlantides 
and  the  American  aborigines,  which  form  a  com- 
panion work  to  De  Pauw's.  The  dedication  to 
Franklin  is  abstracted. 

The  Instrucciones  by  the  Mexican  viceroys 
Linares,  Branciforte,  and  Revilla  Gigedo,  to  their 
successors  in  the  government,  appear  in  several 
volumes.  Those  of  Revilla  contain  a  woodcut 
portrait  of  himself,  with  coat  of  arms,  and  give  an 
exhaustive  review  in  two  volumes,  of  the  admin- 
istrative departments,  so  highly  valued  as  to 
lead  to  their  publication  in  1831.  In  Adalid, 
Causa  Formadu,  1815,  in  three  volumes,  bound 
in  old-fashioned  parchment,  is  found  the  trial 
of  prominent  supporters  of  the  insurgents  in 
Mexico.  A  similar  trial  is  o-iven  in  Extracto  de  la 

o 

Caiisa  of  Matoso,  whose  case  created  more  than 
ordinary  attention  from  the  fact  of  his  being  Relator 
to  the  Audiencia.  On  this  tumultuous  period  bear 
also  Orizava,  Libra  Noticioso,  an  original  diary  of 
occurrences  in  Orizaba  from  1812  to  1821,  prefaced 
by  Bustamante;  and  the  letter  of  the  leader 
Domingues  on  his  operations  against  the  Spaniards. 
The  most  important  of  the  modern  manuscripts, 
however,  are  from  the  pen  of  Carlos  Maria  Busta- 


28  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

mante,  the  most  prolific  historical  writer  of  Mexico. 
He  had  early  gained  distinction,  not  only  in  the 
legal  profession,  but  as  editor  of  the  Diaro  de 
Mexico,  and  other  journals;  and,  on  joining  the 
revolutionary  party,  toward  the  close  of  the  Spanish 
rule,  he  was  elected  deputy  for  his  native  province 
of  Oajaca.  This  position  he  retained  for  many 
years,  and  became,  at  one  time,  president /7'0  tern. 
of  the  Congress.  Between  the  years  1836  and 
1841  he  was  one  of  the  five  conservadores  of  the 
supreme  power,  while  his  brother  attained  to  the 
presidency  of  the  Republic.  Nearly  all  the  im- 
portant manuscripts  left  by  him,  chiefly  auto- 
graphic, passed  to  the  Maximilian  Library,  and 
thence  to  Mr.  Bancroft's  shelves.  The  earliest 
historical  effort  of  note,  and  which  exhibits  greater 
care  than  the  less  pure  style  of  later  works,  is  the 
Mcdidas  para  la  Pacification  de  la  America 
Mexicana,  in  two  parts,  which  reviews  the  various 
branches  of  administration,  and  points  out  the  re- 
forms needed  'to  ensure  the  re-establishment  of 
peace.  It  was  his  last  plea  for  Spanish  rule,  and 
written  during  his  confinement  in  the  Vera  Cruz 
dungeons,  1817  to  1819.  Passing  a  number  of 
essays,  biographies  and  minor  writings,  it  will  be 
sufficient  to  enumerate  the  more  important  histor- 
ical narratives  of  Bustamante,  of  which  are  Materiales 
para  el  Ciiadro  Histbrico,  on  the  events  of  the 
autumn  of  1822,  and  Apuntes  para  la  Historia  del 
Gobicrno  del  General  Victoria,  1825  to  1830,  pub- 


HUBERT    H.    BANCROFT.  29 

lished  in  his  periodical,  Voz  de  la  Patria.  Volumes 
VI  to  XIV  of  the  latter  are  in  Bustamante's  hand- 
writing, and  give  the,  history  from  1831  to  1838. 
A  part  of  this  matter,  as  well  as  of  the  Contimta- 
cion  del  Cuadro  Historico,  from  1837  to  1841,  in 
eight  volumes,  were  published  in  Gabinete  Mexi- 
cano,  1842.  Following  this  is  the  Diario  de  lo 
Ocurrido,  1841-3,  in  four  volumes,  interspersed 
with  printed  matter,  and  Memorandum  para  Escri- 
bir  la  Historia,  from  1844  to  1847,  to  which 
belongs  the  Invasion  de  Mexico  por  los  Anglo- 
Americanos,  printed  in  1847.  The  sequel  to  the 
historical  series  appears  in  the  incomplete  Historia 
del  Gobierno  de  los  Generales  Herrera  y  Parcdes, 
which  carrries  the  narrative  to  1848.  The  latter 
part  of  this  manuscript  is  by  a  different  hand.  Two 
valuable  adjuncts  to  the  Invasion,  by  other  writers, 
exists  under  the  titles,  Asedio  y  Defensa  de  Mexico, 
and  Diario  Esactisimo,  1847. 

Whatever  has  been  needed  to  fill  the  voids 
among  the  published  works,  in  the  department  ot 
voyages  and  geography,  has  been  obtained  in  the 
shape  of  manuscript  copies  from  original  journals 
and  papers  in  the  archives  and  libraries  of  Seville 
and  Madrid,  in  the  Deposito  Hidrografico,  the 
Munoz  Collection,  and  other  sources,  together  with 
many  original  documents.  Here  are  the  letters  of 
Alvarado,  the  co-conquistador  of  Cortes,  relating 
to  the  king  his  South  Sea  projects  from  1534 
to  1541;  the  Relacion,  by  Grijalva,  of  his  oceanic 


3O  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

expedition  in  1833;  the  reports  of  D'Avila  on  his 
conquests  in  the  Isthmus  region  from  1519  to 
1524;  and  of  Andagoya,  in  1534,  on  interoceanic 
communication  across  Panama.  Hermosilla  treats 
the  same  subject  in  his  Memorial  to  the  king, 
dated  1556,  but  advocates  the  superior  advantages 
of  the  Honduras  route,  and  is  supported  in  this 
view  by  Aninon,  Discurso,  1565.  Among  geo- 
graphic memoirs  are,  Ravago,  Description,  15/2, 
of  the  provinces  between  Mexico  and  Colombia; 
Miranda,  Vera  Paz,  1575;  and  Alcalde  Mayor 
Chavez'  Relation,  on  Meztitlan,  which  has  found  a 
place  in  Ternaux-Compans'  collection  of  Voyages, 
but  without  the  notes  on  the  Indian  calendar  ap- 
pended to  the  manuscript.  Zapotitlan  province  is 
described  in  Niebla,  Memorial,  1579,  and  portions 
of  Honduras  in  Yzagitirre,  Relation,  1604—5; 
Duarte,  Relation,  and  Avila,  Description  de  las 
Is  I  as  Guam  fas.  Description  de  la  America, 
1701-10,  is  a  compilation  from  D'Avity  and  other 
geographers,  serving  chiefly  as  an  introduction  to 
the  secret  report  of  the  fiscal  on  the  political  ad- 
ministration of  Spanish-American  provinces.  De- 
scription de  Daricn,  is  a  statement  addressed,  in 
1754,  by  Governor  Remon  to  the  Viceroy,  and 
forming  the  most  complete  report  ever  made  on 
this  not  yet  fully  known  province.  During  Spanish 
rule  the  archives  in  America  were  generally  left  in 
undisturbed  repose,  but,  on  the  accession  of  Repub- 
lican administrators,  it  was  resolved  to  extend  the 


HUBERT    H.    BANCROFT.  3! 

revolutionary  ideas  even  to  dust  and  parchments, 
and  devote  them  to  some  use.  In  the  interest  of 
political  affairs,  the  cartridge-manufacturers  were 
accordingly  given  free  access,  and  a  similar  favor 
was  granted,  for  the  benefit  of  trade,  to  shopkeep- 
ers in  want  of  wrapping-paper.  It  was  among  a 
pile  of  such  paper,  in  a  Bogota  store,  that  this  orig- 
inal was  found  by  a  friend  of  Mr.  Bancroft,  and 
presented  to  the  library.  Another  valuable  report 
on  the  same  region  is  Governor  Ariza's  Comentos 
de  Darien,  of  1774. 

Metodo  para  Recibir  y  Dispachar  el  Galeon  de 
Filipinas,  Cadiz,  1763;  Lynch,  Relation,  1757,  of 
a  voyage  along  the  Honduras  coast;  and  Oyarvide 
y  Heredia,  Diario,  Havana,  1 764,  relate  to  navi- 
gation. To  this  class  belongs  the  extensive  ap- 
pendix to  Sharp's  South  Sea  Waggoner,  which 
describes  the  ocean  routes  alono-  the  west  coast  of 

o 

America,  and  is  illustrated  with  seventy-two  crude 
ink  charts.  An  autograph  preface  in  Dutch,  written 
in  1692,  by  the  traveler,  N.  Witsen,  refers  .to  the 
loss  of  a  much  larger  collection  of  Pacific  charts, 
sent  to  the  king  of  Spain.  The  pasteboard  bind- 
ing, covered  with  vellum,  bears  a  curious  stamped 
tracery.  A  part  of  this  coast  route  is  described  in 
a  French  plaquette,  entitled,  Route  du  Port  de 
Panama  a  celui  d  Acapulco. 

The  division  of  jurisprudence  forms  no  inconsid- 
erable part  of  the  collection,  thanks  to  the  inclina- 
tion of  the  Hispano-Americans  to  forensic  lore  and 


32  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

phraseology,  and  to  their  aptitude  for  making  laws. 
if  not  for  observing  them.  So  numerous  are  works 
of  this  class,  that  the  press  in  America  has  been 
almost  monopolized  by  them.  A  characteristic 
specimen  is  furnished  by  the  Iglesia  Metropolitans, 
de  Mexico,  Defensa  Juridica,  Mexico,  1741, 
which  treats  of  the  prerogatives  of  the  chapter 
when  calling  at  the  vice-regal  palace.  The  partly 
Roman  lettering  is  neat,  and  the  binding  presents 
a  curious  cloth  pattern,  embroidered  with  flowers 
in  silk  and  silver.  Of  almost  similar  contents  and 
exterior,  is  the  Vozes  Juridicas,  by  Velasco  y 
Texada.  The  remainder  of  these  manuscripts  are 
chiefly  municipal  and  diocesan  regulations  and 
pleadings. 

Ticknor  has  made  us  familiar  with  the  softness 
of  the  Spanish  language,  and  its  easy  versification, 
particularly  in  connection  with  assonant  rhyme, 
for  which  the  rich  vowel  construction  is  well  suited. 
This  very  flexibility  has  led  to  great  abuse  of  form, 
and,  among  the  more  impetuous  Spanish-Ameri- 
cans, irregularity  of  metre  as  well  as  rhyme  is 
carried  to  great  extreme.  It  is  doubtful  whether 
they  can  produce  a  single  lengthy  work  of  merit, 
although  short  lyric  pieces  of  great  beauty  are  not 
wanting.  Of  these  there  are  numerous  instances 
in  the  several  volumes  of  collected  poems  in  the 
library,  and  also  among  the  collegial  exercises 
which  appear  under  the  titles  of  Universidad  de 
Mexico,  Acto  Lilerario,  July,  1803,  in  honor  of  the 


HUBERT    H.    BANCROFT.  33 

visit  of  Viceroy  Iturrigaray ;  Garcia,  Vexamen,  at  the 
Palafoxian  college  of  Pueblo,  1795;  and  Medrano 
y  Penaloza,  Alegoria,  Guanajuato,  1782.  Consejos 
Econbmicos,  1799,  is  a  pretentious  epistolar  poem, 
of  little  merit,  by  Terralla  y  Landa,  in  eighteen 
cantos,  with  notes  and  postscriptum,  and  in  octosyl- 
labic triple  measure  with  irregular  rhyme.  Of  equal 
merit  and  pretence  is  the  satirical  Poema  Cdmico 
sobre  la  Aparicion  de  Nuestra  Scnora  de  Guada- 
lupe,  by  Avila  y  Uribe,  written  in  dialogue,  alter- 
nate assonant  rhyme,  and  varying  metre.  A  more 
interesting  volume,  with  curious  tables  for  verse- 
making,  acrostics,  riddles,  and  neat  illuminations, 
is  the  Palafox  y  Mendoza,  Clionico  Panegirico, 
Puebla,  1730,  consisting  of  a  series  of  elegies, 
hymns  and  sonnets,  often  in  consonant  rhyme,  in 
honor  of  the  saintly  prelate  of  this  name.  Among 
the  several  volumes  of  original  and  translated 
dramas,  in  verse  and  prose,  is  a  short  essay  on  the 
art  of  acting,  daintily  written  on  yellow,  gilt-edged 
paper.  There  are,  also,  a  large  number  of  treatises 
on  the  origin  of  the  Indians,  on  logic,  agriculture, 
mining,  and  translations  of  Latin  classics. 

This  concludes  the  review  of  the  manuscript  col- 
lection, which,  large  as  it  is,  forms  but  a  small  pro- 
portion compared  with  the  printed  matter  in  the 
same  field.  Mr.  Bancroft  is  constantly  adding  fresh 
books,  chiefly  new  publications;  for  of  old  works 
bearing  on  the  Pacific  states  there  are  few  extant 
which  are  not  represented  in  the  collection,  in  one 


34  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

form  or  another.  Thus,  a  few  of  the  rare  editions 
of  the  beginning  of  the  sixteenth  century  exist  only 
in  later  reprints;  but  even  of  the  rare  issues  this 
library  possesses  a  larger  and  more  complete  set 
than  any  other  in  America.  Peter  Martyr,  the 
fountain-head  of  American  history,  whence  so  many 
of  the  early  compilers  drew  their  information,  is 
represented  in  three  editions:  De  Insvlis  Nvpcr  In- 
ventis,  Colonise,  1532,  bearing  on  the  title-page  the 
wood-cut  portrait  and  coat-of-arms  of  Charles  V.; 
Oratoris  clarissimi  de  rebus  Oceanicis  &  Orbe 
nouo,  Basileae,  1533;  and  the  Venetian  edition  of 
1534.  Earlier  in  date  is  the  Supplementi  Clironi- 
caritm  ab  ipso  Mundi,  recast  from  Patre  Jacobo 
Phillippo  Bergomate,  ordinis  Heremitaruz,  Venice, 
1513,  in  old  clasp  binding,  with  metal  corners  and 
stamped  arabesque  ;  but  which  disposes  of  the 
newly  discovered  continent  in  a  short  chapter  en- 
titled, "De  quattuor  q  maximis  insulis  in  india  extra 
orbem  nuper  inuentis."  Libra  di  Benedetto  Bordone 
Net  qual  si  ragiona  de  tutte  I  hole,  dated  1528, 
presents  a  striking  contrast  between  its  large,  clear 
type  and  small,  crude  maps.  The  Novvs  Orbis  Re- 
gionvm  ac  insvlarvm  veteribvs  incognitarvm,  1532, 
by  John  Huttich,  although  best  known  under  the 
name  of  the  voluble  Simon  Grynceus,  who  wrote  the 
preface,  contains,  in  addition  to  the  collection  of 
general  voyages,  an  epitome  of  Vespucci's  four  voy- 
ages and  Martyr's  De  Insvlis.  Apiani,  Introdvc- 
tio  Geographica,  bears  the  imprint  Ingolstadii, 


HUBERT    H.    BANCROFT,  35 

1533,  and  La  Cosmographia,  that  of  Anvers,  1575; 
while  Minister's  bulky  cosmographies  are  dated 
1545,  1553,  1598,  and  1614.  An  earlier  German 
issue  is  the  Wellbuc/i  Spiegel  vnd  bildtnis  des  gant- 
zen  Erdtbodens  von  Sebastiano  Franco  Wordensi, 
of  1 533,  in  four  books.  Remarkable  for  highly  col- 
ored and  curious  maps  and  title-pages  are  the  At- 
lases, with  text,  of  Mercator  and  Ortelius,  dated 
1569  and  1571.  An  early  edition  exists  of  that 
most  learned  compilation,  Ramusio,  Delle  Naviga- 
tioni,  in  three  folio  volumes,  the  first  bearing  date 
1554,  the  last,  1565.  The  third  volume  relates 
wholly  to  America,  and  contains  three  of  Cortes' 
relations,  part  of  Oviedo's  histories,  Alvarado's 
letters,  Vaca's  relation,  Guzman's  expedition  to 
north-western  Mexico,  and  other  valuable  matter, 
forming  perhaps  the  most  important  collection  of 
the  kind.  In  Hakluyt's  famous  and  rare  black- 
letter  edition  in  three  volumes,  London,  1599,  the 
last  volume  is  also  devoted  to  the  new  continent, 
and  contains  many  valuable  journals,  although  much 
is  borrowed  from  Ramusio.  As  a  supplement  to 
this  stands  the  Selection  of  Curious,  Rare  and 
Early  Voyages,  of  1812.  Connected  with  the  His- 
toria  del  gran  Reyno  de  la  China,  Anvers,  1596, 
is  an  interesting  Ytinerario  del  Padre  Cvstodio 
fray  Martin  Ignacio,  giving  a  description  of  New 
Spain,  as  observed  during  a  journey  through  the 
country. 

In  the  following  century  the  cosmographic  works 


30  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

give  way  to  quaint  black-letter  compilations,  more 
or  less  bulky  and  curiously  illustrated,  at  the  head 
of  which  stands  the  rare  and  costly  editions  of 
Purchas,  his  Pilgrimage,  London,  1614,  which  is 
incomplete,  and  his  Pilgrimcs,  of  1625-6,  in  five 
large  folio  volumes.  The  set  must  have  proved 
costly  to  him  also,  for  it  is  reported  that  he  died 
in  destitute  circumstances,  the  result  of  losses  on 
his  literary  venture.  Caspar  Ens,  West-vnnd  Ost 
IndiscJier  Lustgart,  Collen,  1618,  in  two  parts,  is 
chiefly  devoted  to  American  expeditions;  and  the 
West-Indische  Spieghel\sy  Athanasium  Inga,  1624, 
to  exposing  the  cruelty  of  the  Spaniards  toward 
the  Indians,  a  labor  of  love  to  the  Dutch  writers. 
Philoponus,  Nova  Typis  Transact  a  N  avigatio 
Novi  Orbis,  Monacho,  1621,  is  truly  curious  with 
its  startling  illustrations  of  monsters.  Copies  of 
this  edition  often  differ  in  contents  and  arrange- 
ment. Another  Novvs  Orbis,  by  De  Laet,  1633, 
appeared  originally  in  Dutch,  a  few  years  before. 
De  Nieuwe  en  Onbekende  Weereld,  1671,  by 
his  countryman  Montanus,  is  the  best  of  the  Dutch 
works  in  the  collection.  A  German  translation 
appeared  two  years  later.  Gottfriedt,  Newe  Welt, 
1655,  forms  an  abridgment  of  a  larger  collection, 
and  is  attributed  by  some  bibliographers  to 
Abelinus,  who  began  the  Theatrum.  In  D '  Avity, 
Le  Monde,  Paris,  1637,  a  large  folio  volume  is  de- 
voted to  America,  and  four  others  to  the  old  world. 
Ogilby,  America,  is  dated  1671.  Two  encyclo- 


HUBERT    H.    BANCROFT.  37 

pedic  geographies  of  America  appear  under  Villa- 
Senor  y  Sanchez,  Theatre,  174.6;  and  the  valuable 
Alcedo,  Diccionario,  in  five  volumes,  of  which  an 
English  translation  also  exists.  A  great  aid  to  the 
study  of  Pacific  coast  voyages  is  Cabrera  Bueno, 
Navegacion,  which  includes  a  coast  pilot  of  the 
west  coast  of  America.  To  the  region  further 

o 

north  belongs  the  very  rare  little  book  entitled 
Neue  Nackrichten  von  denen  Neuentdekten  Insuln 
in  der  See  ZwiscJien  Asien  und  Amerika,  1776, 
probably  by  Shamaleff,  which  treats  of  Russian  dis- 
coveries in  Alaska.  Under  personal  voyages  come 
Gemelli  Careri,  Giro  del  Mondo,  1699,  Dam- 
pier 's  Voyage,  in  four  volumes,  of  the  same  date; 
Funnell's  account  of  the  same  cruise;  Sharp's 
Voyages,  1684;  Liissan,  Wafer,  the  series  of 
Buccaneer  voyages  of  this  period;  Rogers,  1718; 
Shelvocke,  Betagh,  Anson;  Cook's  and  Vancouver's 
several  editions  in  English  and  French;  Parkinson, 
Portlock  and  Dixon,  Meares,  La  Perouse,  Forster, 
Krusenstern,  1813,  Langsdorff,  Lisiansky,  Kotze- 
bue,  Roquefeuil,  Beechey,  Petit-  Thouars,  La  Place, 
Duhaut-Cilly,  Belcher,  Simpson,  and,  above 
all,  the  rare  and  costly  set  of  twenty  quarto 
volumes,  with  eight  folio  volumes  of  plates,  the 
United  States  Exploring  Expedition,  under 
Wilkes,  1844-58.  Only  one  hundred  copies  of  this 
edition  were  printed,  and  very  few  complete  sets 
are  now  to  be  found. 

Among  the  collections  of  voyages  are:    Harris' 

108724 


38  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

two  large  folio  volumes  of  1705;  Naaukeurigc 
Versameling,  Leyden,  1707,  in  thirty  volumes, 
by  Van  der  Aa,  which  has  been  severely  criticized 
for  its  many  exaggerations.  A  reduced  form  of 
this  set  is  found  under  Gottfried,  De  Aanmer- 
kenswaardigste,  1727,  in  four  large  folios;  the 
Churchill  and  Harleian  collections,  1745-52; 
forming  ten  volumes;  Drake,  1771;  Forster;  Ber- 
enger's  French  collection,  1788-9,  in  nine  volumes; 
the  Spanish  Viagero' Universal,  1796—1801,  in 
forty-three  volumes;  and  about  twenty  minor  col- 
lections in  different  languages.  To  the  present 
century  belong:  Burney1  s  Chronological  History 
of  Voyages,  in  five  volumes;  Pinkerton's  excel- 
lent General  Collection,  in  seventeen  volumes,  and 
his  Modern  Geography,  in.  three  volumes;  Bou- 
cher de  la  Richarderie,  BibliotJie.que,  six  volumes; 
La  Harpe,  abrege,  in  twenty-four  volumes;  Kerr, 
in  eighteen  volumes;  and  the  Annales  and  Nou- 
velles  Annales  des  Voyages,  issued  periodically 
since  1809,  and  forming  over  two  hundred  vol- 
umes. 

A  decided  departure  from  the  hackneyed  com- 
pilation and  reviews  of  well-known  voyages  was 
made  by  Navarrete,  in  the  publication  of  Coleccion 
de  los  Viages  y  Descubrimientos  que  Hicieron  por 
mar  los  Espanoles,  1825-37,  in  five  volumes, 
which  contain  a  series  of  hitherto  unpublished 
documents  on  the  voyages  of  Columbus,  Vespucci, 
and  others.  To  the  same  author  is  due  the  able 


HUBERT    H.    BANCROFT.  39 

preface  to  Relation  del  Viage  hecho  por  las  Gole- 
tas  Sutil  y  Mexicana,  en  el  ano  de  1/92,  wherein 
he  reviews  previous  voyages  to  the  north-west 
coast  of  America.  The  laudable  endeavor  to  find 
new  fields  and  new  material,  and  thus  to  verify  or 
to  correct  former  publications,  rather  than  to 
reproduce  them  and  their  errors,  this  has  become 
the  task  of  the  various  geographical  societies  of 
England,  France,  Germany,  United  States  and 
Mexico,  whose  transactions  are  well  represented  in 
this  collection.  Those  of  Mexico  deserve  special 
attention  for  their  extensive  and  thorough  statis- 
tical and  descriptive  researches  on  the  various 
states. 

The  division  relating  to  personal  travels,  which 
form  the  characteristic  publications  of  our  age,  are 
numbered  by  the  thousand,  and  embrace  the  rarest 
work  as  well  as  the  most  insignificant  pamphlet, 
from  the  travels  and  geographic  memoirs  of  the 
illustrious  Humboldt,  which  cover  several  shelves, 
to  the  brief  account  of  a  railroad  trip.  The  Central 
American  region,  which  has  been  somewhat  neg- 
lected by  writers  since  the  conquest,  is  again  to 
the  front  with  a  long  list  of  descriptions  in  various 
languages.  The  works  on  Mexico  are  still  more 
numerous,  and  those  on  California  and  Oregon, 
including  the  countries  north  and  west,  from  Alaska 
to  Montana  and  Texas,  are  innumerable,  owing  to 
jhe  attention  called  to  this  region  by  the  gold  dis- 
covery, and  by  its  geographical  position.  The 


4O  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

scientific  information  therein  is  based  on  the  numer- 
ous reports  of  government  and  railroad  explora- 
tions. 

On  the  subject  ofhistory  the  collection  is  equally 
complete.  Gomara  is  represented  by  the  Historia 
General,  Anvers,  1554,  Historia  de  Mexico,  of 
the  same  imprint,  and  several  other  editions,  in- 
cluding Historia  di  Don  Ferdinando  Cortes.  Ve- 

o 

netia,  1 560,  in  clear  script  type.  This  hero  is  the 
subject  of  quite  an  array  of  special  narratives  and 
biographiesx  from  the  early  editions  of  Colonise, 
1532,  and  the  German  of  Augspurg,  1550,  to  the 
latest  collection  of  papers.  Benzoni,  La  Historia 
del  Mondo  Nvovo,  is  found  in  the  Italian  edition  of 
1572,  the  Latin  of  1578  and  1589,  and  the  English 
of  1857;  Acosta,  De  Natvra  Novi  Or 'tis,  bears 
the  imprint  Salmanticse,  Apud  Guillelmum  Foquel, 
1589;  and  his  Historia  Natural  y  Moral,  that  of 
Sevilla,  1590,  of  which  there  is  also  an  English 
version  dated  1604.  To  this  group  belongs  Ovi- 
cdo,  part  of  whose  histories  appeared  as  early  as 
1526,  but  the  complete  edition,  Historia  General 
y  Natural  de  las  Indias,  in  four  large  volumes,  was 
issued  only  in  1 851-55,  under  the  supervision  of 
Jose  Amador  de  los  Rios,  and  by  the  authority  of 
the  Real  Academia.  Six  collections  of  extracts 
from  Martyr,  Cortes  and  Oviedo,  besides  a  number 
of  separate  abridgments,  exist  between  the  dates 

I532-55- 
The  works  of  the  following  century  begin  with 


HUBERT    II.    BANCROFT.  41 

the  first  printed  general  history  of  America,  the 
esteemed  Historia  General  de  los  HecJios  de  los 
Castellanos,  in  four  volumes,  of  the  rare  edition  of 
1 60 1,  by  the  royal  chronicler,  Antonio  de  Herrera. 
The  superior  edition  of  1730,  and  the  English 
translation  of  1775  are  also  here.  This  is  fol- 
lowed by  the  curious  MonarcJiia  Indiana,  by 
Torquemada,  in  three  bulky  volumes,  which  are 
particularly  profuse  in  their  account  of  the  aborig- 
ines. The  library  possesses  the  superior  edition  of 
1723.  •  Similar  in  character,  and  based  on  Torque- 
mada, is  Vetancurt)  Teatro  Mexicano,  which 
appeared  later  in  the  century.  Of  an  earlier  date 
than  these  noted  works  is  Caspar  de  Villagra, 
Hisioria  de  la  Nveva  Mexico,  Alcata,  1610,  an 
epic  in  thirty-four  cantos,  preceded  by  several 
lyric  pieces,  and  chiefly  in  blank  verse,  triple 
measure.  The  valiant  captain  poet  dedicates  it  to 
the  king,  and  adds  a  crude  wood-cut  portrait  of  him- 
self, as  he  appeared  at  the  age  of  fifty-five. 

To  this  period  belongs  Bernal  Diaz,  Historia 
Verdadera  de  la  Conquista  de  la  Nueva-Espana, 
1632,  embracing  the  years,  1518  to  1547,  when  the 
author  died.  The  title  of  True  History  may 
probably  have  had  something  to  do  with  the  delay 
in  its  publication,  as  well  as  with  the  many  transla- 
tions which  subsequently  appeared.  The  library 
possesses  four  versions,  besides  the  original.  An 
interesting  little  volume  is  the  Historie  Del  Signor 
D.  Fernando  Colombo,  by  his  son,  Venetia,  1 709,  in 


42  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

a  narrow  161110  form,  which  has  been  declared  a 
forgery  by  some  bibliogonostes,  but  without  just 
reason.  Pizarro  y  Orelfana,  Varones  Ilvstres  del 
Nvevo  Mvndo,  is  dated  1639^  and  in  the  same  year 
was  published  Solorzano  Pereira's  great  work,  De 
Indi&rvm  Ivre.  luan  Diez  de  la  Calle,  Memo- 
rial y  Noticias  Sacras  y  Rbales,  of  1646,  is  a  com- 
pendium of  political  geography,  with  statistical  ac- 
counts of  secular,  as  well  as  ecclesiastic  offices,  in 
America,  for  the  use  of  the  Council  of  the  Indies. 
Later  in  the  century  appeared  the  first  English  ac- 
count of  Spanish- American  affairs  in  the  peculiar, 
yet  meritorious,  New  Survey,  by  Thomas  Gage, 
whose  exposures  have  drawn  upon  him  the  odium 
of  Catholic  writers. 

A  prominent  feature  in  the  historical  department 
is  the  missionary  chronicle  of  the  ecclesiastic 
provinces,  which  constitutes  almost  the  only  origi- 
nal record  of  many  districts,  even  in  political  mat- 
ters. They  are  as  a  rule  verbose,  and  full  of 
miraculous  occurrences  and  religious  sentiments, 
which  tend  to  increase  the  obscurity  surrounding 
the  interpolated  facts.  Although  they  are  rare  and 
costly,  Mr.  -Bancroft  has  been  so  fortunate  as  to 
secure  a  nearly  complete  collection,  including  the 
very  rare  Remesal,  Historia  de  la  Provincia  de  S. 
Vincente  de  Chyapa  y  Guatemala,  Madrid,  1619; 
Grijalua,  Crbnica  de  la  Or  den  de  N.  P.  S.  Au- 
gustin,  Mexico,  1624;  Davila  Padilla,  Historiade 
la  Provincia  de  Santiago  de  Mexico,  1625;  Ribas, 


HUBERT    H.    BANCROFT.  43 

Historia  de  los  Trivmphos,  1645,  one  of  the  rarest, 
and  particularly  valuable  for  the  history  of  the 
Californias,  since  it  treats  of  the  north-western 
provinces  of  Mexico,  which  form  the  portal  to  those 
states.  Even  more  rare  are  Burgoa's  Palestra 
Historial,  and  Geografica  Description,  Mexico, 
1670  and  1674,  the  standard  authorities  for  the 
south-west  provinces  of  Mexico.  Arlegiii,  Chronica 
de  Zacatecas,  1737;  Espinosa,  Chronica  Apostolica, 
1746;  and  its  continuation,  Arricivita,  Cronica 
Serafica,  relate  to  the  Propaganda  Fide  missions  in 
Mexico;  while  Florencia's  incomplete  Historia, 
1694,  and  Alegre's  lengthy  records,  contain  a  full 
account  of  Jesuit  labors.  The  latter  was  published 
only  in  1841,  in  three  volumes,  and  then  at  the  in- 
stance of  the  patriotic  Bustamante. 

Returning  to  secular  writings,  we  notice  the  ele- 
gant Historia  de  la  Conquista  de  Mexico,  by  Solis, 
Madrid,  1684,  which  has  been  honored  with  more 
reprints  and  translations  than  perhaps  any  other 
Spanish-American  standard  work.  Besides  this 
first  edition  the  library  has  four  Spanish  versions, 
two  English,  and  one  French.  The  continuation 
of  this  history  appeared  in  1 743,  under  the  name 
of  Salazar  y  Olarte.  What  Solis'  work  is  to  Mex- 
ico, Cogolludo,  Historia  de  Yucathan,  1688,  may 
be  said  to  be  to  this  province,  in  a  historic,  if  not 
rhetorical,  sense;  and  Villagzitierre,  Historia  de 
el  Itza,  1701,  to  Guatemala.  In  1699  and  1700 
appeared  a  number  of  now  rare  pamphlets  on  the 


44  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

famous  Scots'  colony  at  Darien.  That  most  clear 
and  delightful  Storia  Antica  del  Messico,  by  Cla- 
vigero,  1780—1,  in  four  volumes,  together  with  an 
English  translation  in  two  volumes,  treats  not  only 
of  the  ancient  history  of  the  Aztecs,  but  of  the 
conquest.  Ot  the  projected  Historia  del  Nitevo 
Mundo,  by  Munoz,  only  one  volume  was  ever  pub- 
lished, which  bears  the  date  of  1793.  The  valuable 
and  already  rare  collection  QiBarcia,  Historiadores 
Primitives,  1749,  in  three  volumes,  contains  very 
full  accounts  of  Columbus  and  other  early  voyagers. 
Despite  the  internal  disorders,  and  consequently 
backward  condition  of  Mexico,  the  nation  did  not 
fail  to  respond  to  the  efforts  of  such  men  as  Hum- 
boldt  and  Navarrete  to  teach  her  the  value  of  the 
literary  treasure  she  possessed,  and  under  the  guid- 
ance of  Bustamante  and  others  a  movement  was 
inaugurated  for  the  collection  and  preservation  of 
historical  and  archaeologic  material,  which  has  borne 
the  most  glorious  fruit.  Not  only  have  literary 
societies  been  formed  to  carry  on  the  work,  but  the 
government  has  set  a  good  example  by  issuing,  as 
a  folletin  to  the  Diario  Oficial,  a  series  of  Docu- 
ments para  la  Historia  de  Mexico,  1853-7,  in 
twenty-one  volumes.  This  forms  one  of  the  most 
valuable  collections  extant,  and  refers  to  nearly 
every  Spanish  North  American  country,  the  jour- 
nals of  early  expeditions  to  the  north  and  north- 
west of  Mexico  being  particularly  interesting. 
Among  other  collections  of  rare  and  original  docu- 


HUBERT    H.    BANCROFT.  45 

ments  are  those  of  Cardenas'  in  seven  volumes,  re- 
ferring to  the  early  days  of  the  conquest,  and  Icaz- 
balceta's  in  two  large  volumes,  containing  some  of 
the  choicest  documents  on  Mexican  history.  Cavo, 
Los  Tres  Siglos  de  Mexico,  is  a  valuable  history  of 
the  Spanish  rule,  which  Bustamante  rescued  from 
oblivion  and  issued  in  1836-8,  in  three  volumes. 
Calvo,  Recueil  Complet  des  Traites,  in  sixteen  vol- 
umes, relates  chiefly  to  diplomatic  affairs  in  Latin 
America,  and  the  Diario  de  Cortes,  of  Spain,  pub- 
lished since  the  beginning  of  this  century,  and  oc- 
cupying several  shelves  in  the  library,  are  full  of  leg- 
islative measures  for  the  American  possessions. 

The  prolific  and  meritorious  Bustamante,  to  whom 
full  reference  has  been  made  under  manuscripts,  is 
also  represented  by  a  large  number  of  printed 
books,  the  chief  of  which  have  already  been  named. 
Of  the  one  hundred  and  seven  titles  of  works  from 
his  pen,  ten  are  of  an  original  historic  character,  in 
from  one  to  seven  volumes  each,  nine  are  edited, 
nine  are  periodicals,  and  the  remainder  miscellane- 
ous memoirs  and  pamphlets.  Another  celebrated 
contemporary  statesman  and  historian  was  Lucas 
Alaman.  He  went  to  Europe  at  an  early  age, 
published  there  a  number  of  articles  and  pam- 
phlets, and  on  returning  to  Mexico  received  the 
port-folio  of  Ministro  de  Relaciones.  In  1849  he 
issued  two  volumes  of  Disertaciones  sobre  la  His- 
toria  de  la  Repiiblica,  adding  in  1849  the  third 
volume,  and  also  the  first  of  his  Historia  de  Me- 


46  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

jico,  which  was  completed  in  1852,,  in  five  volumes. 
These  works  rank  among  the  best  Mexican  produc- 
tions, in  a  literary  as  well  as  historical  sense,  pos- 
sessing a  clear  simplicity  of  style  which  is  so  rare 
among  writers  of  his  race.  Carbajal  Espinosa  is 
also  a  good  writer,  but  his  chief  work,  the  Historia 
de  Mexico,  1862,  in  four  volumes,  is  largely  plagi- 
arized. Rivera,  Historia  de  Jalafia,  1869—71,  in 
five  volumes,  embraces  much  of  the  general  history 
of  the  Republic.  Of  importance  for  the  history  of 
the  northern  states  of  Mexico  are  the  various  No- 
ticias  by  Escudero.  Among  French  writings  on 
Mexico  are  the  Lettres,  the  two  Mexique,  and 
several  minor  works,  by  Chevalier,  and  the  Jour- 
nal, Mexique,  and  Deserts,  by  Domenech,  while 
English  works  are  represented  by  such  names  as 
Prescott,  Helps,  and  Brantz  Mayer. 

The  Californias  had  early  become  an  object  of 
attention,  owing  to  the  wealth  in  pearls  and  metals 
attributed  to  them  since  the  time  of  Cortes;  and 
although,  by  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century, 
there  were  merely  a  few  missions  to  indicate  the 
peaceful  conquest  of  Lower  California,  yet  Venegas 
considered  the  country  of  sufficient  importance  to 
honor  it  with  a  chronicle  in  three  volumes,  the 
Noticia  de  la  California,  Madrid,  1757,  of  which 
the  collection  also  possesses  the  English  translation 
of  1759,  and  the  French  of  1 707.  The  rapid  trans- 
lation of  Venegas  encouraged  others  to  follow 
his  example,  as  for  instance  Baegert,  an  ex-mission- 


HUBERT    H.    BANCROFT.  47 

ary  of  that  country,  with  Nachrichten  von  der 
Amerikanischen  Halbinsel  California,  1772;  Clav- 
igero  with  his  clear  Italian  version,  Storia  della 
California,  1789;  and  a  dominican  missionary  with 
three  letters  under  the  title  of  Noticias,  1 794,  traced 
by  Mr.  Bancroft  to  the  pen  of  Fray  Luis  Sales. 
The  chronicle  of  the  Upper  California  missions  was 
published  within  eighteen  years  of  their  foundation 
in  the  Relacion  Historica  de  la  Vida,  y  Apostolicas 
Tareas  del  venerable  Padre  Fray  Jun'ipero  Serra, 
y  de  las  Misiones  que  fundo  en  la  California,  Mex- 
ico. 1787,  by  his  disciple,  the  future  guardian  Fran- 
cisco Palou.  Of  this  rare  work  the  collection  has 
several  copies.  Palou  also  wrote  the  Noticias  de  las 
Calif "ornias,  containing  a  detailed  history  of  Upper 
California  from  1768  to  1784,  and  many  important 
data  on  Lower  California.  This  work  was  published 
in  the  Documenios  par  la  Historia  de  Mexico,  and 
reprinted  in  18 74,  at  San  Francisco,  in  four  volumes. 
Besides  the  numerous  books  of  travels  referring  to 
the  Pacific  slope,  there  are  several  special  histories 
under  Irving,  Forbes,  Greenhow,  Dunn,  Cutts, 
Frost,  Capron,  Annals  of  San  Francisco,  Tuthill, 
Dwinelle,  Gray,  Hall,  and  others.  Federal  and 
state  government  reports,  congressional  and  leg- 
islative journals,  and  pamphlets  innumerable,  cover 
the  "rest  of  the  field. 

Codes,  law  reports,  and  briefs,  form  a  large  di- 
vision, not  only  for  the  California  region,  but  for 
Mexico  and  Central  America,  including  several 


48  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

sets  of  Leyes  and  Recopilaciones,  and  among  them 
/'//;'<?,  Provisioes,  Ccdulas,  Instruciones,  1563,  the 
earliest  collection  of  laws  issue4  from  the  Mexican 
press. 

Theology  claims  the  first  book  printed  in  Amer- 
ica, the  Escala  Espiritual,  which  appeared  at 
Mexico,  probably  as  early  as  1536,  from  the  press 
introduced  by  Cromberger  at  the  end  of  1535. 
Indeed,  the  church  almost  monopolized  printing  in 
early  times,  and  of  the  less  than  one  hundred  books 
printed  in  America  during  the  sixteenth  century, 
seventy-four  are  ecclesiastic  manuals,  catechisms 
and  regulations.  Of  the  Escala  no  copy  is  now 
to  be  found,  the  earliest  imprint  in  existence  being 
that  of  1 540  in  the  Manual  para  Adultos.  Equally 
rare  is  the  fine  copy,  on  Mr.  Bancroft's  shelves,  of 
Doctrina  Cristiana,  a  catechism  for  the  instruction 
of  Indians,  which  was  printed  at  Mexico,  1546,  by 
order  of  Bishop  Zumarraga.  The  size  is  octavo, 
with  narrow  margins,  and  the  type,  heavy  Gothic, 
relieved  by  numerous  small  head-pieces  in  tracery. 
On  the  title-page,  within  the  tassels  of  a  prelate's 
hat,  is  a  small  wood-cut,  representing  the  bishop  in  the 
act  of  blessing  a  number  of  kneeling  women.  A 
second  Doctrina  bears  the  date  1575.  Preceding 
this  issue  from  the  Mexican  press  is  the  Bvlla  Con- 
fir  mationis,  1568,  conferring  certain  privileges  on 
the  mendicant  orders.  The  title-page  bears  a  crude 
wood-cut  of  the  crucified  Saviour,  with  two  adorers 
at  his  feet.  Sermonario,  Mexico,  1577,  is  a  homi- 
letic  in  the  Aztec  language. 


HUBERT    H.    BANCROFT.  49 

The  religious  publications  of  the  following  cen- 
tury present  an  imposing  array,  including  accounts 
of  miraculous  apparitions,  and  biographies  of  saintly 
individuals,  wherein  the  chief  object  is  to  illustrate 
Christian  virtues  rather  than  events.  Discursive 
and  obituary  sermons  are  still  more  numerous,  one 
set  alone  in  the  collection  numbering  forty-nine 
volumes,  with  over  one  thousand  sermons,  which 
owe  their  publication  to  pious  admirers,  or  to  per- 
sons whose  vanity  have  been  tickled  by  some 
flattering  allusion.  In  the  funeral  sermons  there  is 
often  no  reference  to  the  deceased,  except  in  the 
fulsome  eulogy  on  the  title-page.  Gonzales  Davila, 
Teatro  Eclesiastico,  1649-55,  *s  invaluable  on  early 
church  affairs  in  America,  and  so  is  Mendieta,  His- 
toria  Eclesiastica  Indiana,  written  at  the  close  of 
the  sixteenth  century,  but  published  only  in  1870. 
A  significant  work  is  the  Reglas  y  Constituciones 
of  the  Inquisition,  Mexico,  1659. 

Iratado  breve  de  Medecina,  by  Farfan,  1579,  is 
interesting  from  the  fact  that  it  is  one  of  the  two 
medical  treatises  published  in  Mexico  during  this 
century.  Of  an  earlier  date  is  Monardes,  Historia 
Medicinal,  1 5  74,  in  three  parts,  the  earliest  issue  of 
the  complete  work.  To  the  following  century  be- 
longs the  celebrated  work  on  American  botany, 
Hernandez,  Nova  Plantarum,  Romce,  1651,  and 
his  Medici  in  three  volumes.  Less  complete  is 
Erasmus  Franciscus,  Guineischer  iind  Ameri- 
kaniscker  Blumen-Busck,  Nurnberg,  1669,  all  three 
illustrated. 


50  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

The  historical  works  on  America,  from  the 
earliest  times,  contain  more  or  less  extensive 
speculations  on  the  origin  of  the  new  race,  strange 
animals,  and  curious  things,  which  had  risen  out  of 
the  Sea  of  Darkness.  The  geocentric  and  discoidal 
theories  of  ecclesiastic  teachers  had  been  over- 
thrown, and  while  closet  philosophers  went  back 
to  Greek  and  Roman  writers  for  light  to  help  them 
in  their  groping,  the  orthodox  convent  historians 
renewed  their  application  to  Holy  Writ.  The 
one  race  theory  predominated,  but  as  to  the  nation 
which  had  emigrated  to  America,  and  the  route 

o  • 

followed,  the  opinions  were  as  numerous  as  the 
writers.  Among  the  special  works  on  this  sub- 
ject are,  Garcia,  Or'igen  de  los  Indies,  which  re- 
views at  some  length  the  various  theories  current 
in  the  sixteenth  century ;  George  Horn,  De 
Originibus,  1652;  Spizelius,  Elevatio  Relationis, 
1 66 1,  which  supports  the  Israelitic  origin;  and  De 
Paitw,  Recherches,  1770,  three  volumes. 

The  archaeologic  division  includes  also  the  Idea 
de  una  Nueva  Historia,  by  the  unfortunate  anti- 
quary Boturini;  Cabrera,  Teatro  Critico  ;  the 
learned  essay  of  Leon  y  Gama  on  Las  Dos  Pie- 
dras;  Bradford  s  American  Antiquities;  Mor- 
tons Crania;  and  the  histories  of  Sahagun  and  of 
Veytia,  whose  manuscripts  on  aboriginal  history  and 
customs  were  discovered  and  published  in  this  cen- 
tury. The  National  Book  of  the  Quiches  was  issued 
in  1857,  by  Scherzer,  under  the  title  of  Las  Histo- 


HUBERT    H.    BANCROFT.  51 

rias  del  Origen  de  los  Indios,  and  as  Popul  Vuh, 
by  Abbe  Brasseur  de  Bourbourg.  The  writings  of 
the  latter  on  Indian  history,  customs,  and  antiqui- 
ties, form  quite  a  large  set  in  this  collection,  among 
which  are  the  valuable  Histoire  des  Nations  Civi- 
lisees,  in  four  volumes,  and  the  illustrated  inter- 
pretation of  Maya  hieroglyphics  in  the  Manuscrit 
Troano.  Muller,  Geschichte  der  Amerikanischen 
Urreligionen,  forms  the  ablest  review  of  Ameri- 
can mythology.  Among  the  imperial  folio  sets  on 
antiquities  are  the  famous  edition  of  KingsborougJi  s 
Mexico  in  nine  bulky  volumes,  and  the  Antiquites 
Mexicaines;  Wai  deck,  Voyage  Pittoresque,  pre- 
sents the  first  information  on  the  grand  ruins  of 
Yucatan,  while  Nebel,  Viaje,  contains  the  only  ex- 
tant drawings  of  those  at  Quemada.  The  works 
of  Squier,  Stephens,  accompanied  by  Ca'ther- 
wood's  drawings,  Charnay,  illustrated  by  a  folio 
set  of  photographs,  and  other  travelers,  give  new 
and  corroborating  descriptions  of  Mexican  and 
Central  American  relics,  while  the  whole  of  these, 
and  a  thousand  other  treatises  on  Indian  history, 
customs,  languages,  mythology,  and  antiquities, 
are  embodied  in  Mr.  Bancroft's  five  volumes,  en- 
titled The  Native  Races  of  the  Pacific  Stales. 

In  connection  with  the  numerous  religious  man- 
uals in  native  dialects,  chiefly  Aztec,  are  often 
found  brief  grammatical  rules  and  vocabularies, 
which  must  always  make  these  books  valuable  to 
the  student.  Special  vocabularies  were  also  issued, 


52  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

and  among  them  the  very  rare  Vocabulario  en 
Lcngna  Castcllana  y  Mexicana,  of  1571,  by  Mo- 
lina, in  Mexican  as  well  as  Spanish,  which  proved 
of  great  value  in  writing  the  Native  Races.  Lin- 
guistics include  Hervas,  Catdlogo  and  Adclung,  Mi- 
thridatcs,  in  five  volumes,  with  the  dominical 
prayer  in  nearly  five  hundred  dialects.  One  of  the 
four  volumes,  prepared  by  Vater,  refers  to  Amer- 
ican tongues.  The  extensive  and  valuable  treat- 
ises by  Buschmann,  Ludewig,  Veniarninoff  together 
with  Shea's  series,  and  the  Mexican  works  of 
Orozco  y  Berraand  Pimentel  might  be  mentioned. 
As  the  earliest  work  on  American  bibliography, 
the  three  volumes  of  Leon  de  Pinelo,  Epitome  de  la 
Bibliotheca,  are  of  great  interest. 

The  most  valuable  collection  in  the  department 
of  periodic  literature  is  that  of  the  Gazetas  de 
Mexico,  issued  between  1784  and  1821  as  a  sum- 
mary of  current  events  and  interesting  facts  in 
New  Spain,  with  illustrations.  Mr.  Bancroft  has 
been  so  fortunate  as  to  secure  from  the  Maxi- 
milian Library  the  complete  set  of  forty-nine  vol- 
umes, which  is  now  priceless.  Alzate,  Gacetas  de 
Literatura,  Mexico,  1 790-4,  belongs  rather  to  the 
scientific  class.  Publications  of  learned  societies, 
quarterly  and  monthly  journals  in  English,  French, 
German,  and  Spanish,  are  well  represented,  includ- 
ing every  monthly  periodical  which  has  appeared 
in  California.  Pacific  Coast  newspapers,  from 
the  files  of  the  rare  Alia  California,  the  com- 


HUBERT    II.    BANCROFT.  53 

plete  Sacramento  Union  and  San  Francisco  Even- 
ing Bulletin,  to  the  latest  county  paper,  are 
ranged  in  files  numbered  by  the  hundred.  Calen- 
dars are  also  numerous,  particularly  the  Mexican. 
Nor  are  belles-lettres  neglected,  but  they  are 
chiefly  such  as  have  been  printed  within  the  terri- 
tory and  collected  with  a  view  to  form  data  for  a 
history  of  Pacific  Coast  literature.  A  fine  selec- 
tion of  ancient  and  modern  classics  is,  of  course, 
at  hand,  together  with  several  shelves  of  diction- 
aries, encyclopedias,  and  bibliographies,  including 
Brunet,  Sabin,  Stevens,  Ternaux  and  others. 

Among  the  curiosities  of  the  library  are  speci- 
mens of  the  first  printing  in  California,  issued  from 
a  small  press  which  had  been  introduced  from  Bos- 
ton, in  1833,  by  Zamorano,  the  private  secretary  of 
Governor  Figueroa.  The  earliest  specimen,  dated 
Monterey,  16  de  Hnero  de  1833,  is  a  circular  by 
Jose  Figueroa,  announcing  his  arrival  and  assump- 
tion of  the  governorship.  An  autographic  ru- 
brica  is  attached  to  the  printed  name.  The  type 
is  small  pica,  and  the  impression  faulty  and 
blurred.  A  very  fair  specimen  of  printing,  how- 
ever, is  presented  in  the  first  book,  a  neat  i6mo,- 
entitled  Reglamento  Provicional  para  el  Gobier- 
110  Interior  de  la  Ecma,  Diputacion  Terri- 
torial de  la  Alta  California.  Monterey,  1834. 
Imprenta  de  A.  V.  Zamorano  y  Ca.,  treating  of  the 
internal  regulations  of  the  territorial  assembly,  in 
fourteen  titulos  and  seventy-six  clauses.  But  this 


54  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

claim  of  being  the  first  book  has  long  been  unjustly 
held  by  the  better  known  Manifesto  a  la  Republica 
Mejicana  que  hace  el  General  de  Brigada  Jose 
Figiieroa,  a  i6mo  from  the  same  press,  dated  1835. 
It  forms  a  review  and  defense  of  Governor 
Figueroa's  administration,  and  was  issued  immedia- 
tely after  his  death,  in  an  edition  of  one  hundred 
copies,  which  were  distributed  in  accordance  with 
his  orders.  The  first  school  book  appeared  from 
the  same  press  in  1836,  under  the  title  of  Catecismo 
de  Ortologia,  dedicated  to  the  pupils  of  the  normal 
school  at  Monterey,  by  Director  Romero.  It  is 
a  3 2  mo  edition  of  sixteen  pages. 

This  review  of  a  Pacific  Coast  library  would  be 
incomplete  without  some  reference  to  the  aborig- 
inal writings,  which  have  reached  their  greatest 
excellency  in  the  Anahuac  and  Usumasinta  regions. 
The  Aztec  hieroglyphics,  which  are  of  a  far  more 
complex  order  than  the  Dighton  and  other  rock 
inscriptions  in  the  north,  consist  of  pictorial  and 
symbolic  ideography,  and  occasionally  of  cruder 
phonetics;  but  they  had  not  yet  approached  the 
higher  border-land  of  letters,  as  the  Maya  charac- 
ters appear  to  have  done.  Indeed,  it  is  possible 
that  a  later  Champollion  may  accord  the  Maya 
tablets  at  Palenque  an  alphabetic  rank.  The  inter- 
pretation of  the  Aztec  records  has  met  its  greatest 
difficulty  from  the  frequent  use  of  a  double  system 
of  symbols  by  clerical  chroniclers,  one  exoteric, 
the  other  esoteric.  As  to  phonetics,  they  enter 


oo  *•* 


76 


CUT  B. 


CfT   B. 


58  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

into  the  representation  of  certain  abstract  notions 
and  names.  The  records  consist  chiefly  of  laws, 
tribute  rolls,  ritual  tables,  and  biographies  of  rulers 
and  nobles,  written  on  strips  of  metl  or  agave  paper, 
of  which  the  collection  possesses  some  curious 
specimens.  They  are  rare,  however,  thanks  to  the 
Vandalic  ravages  of  early  missionaries;  and  the 
various  Codices  in  Europe,  which  contain  sam- 
ples, are  highly  prized.  Among  the  antiquarian 
works,  already  referred  to,  there  are  numerous 
copies,  and  also  an  ideographic  history  of  Mexico, 
with  explanatory  Aztec  text  in  Roman  letters. 

Cut  B  is  a  copy  from  Bancroft 's  Native  Races 
of  the  hieroglyphic  record  of  the  Aztec  migra- 
tion. The  tribal  chiefs,  whose  names  are  de- 
picted above  their  heads,  are  seen  following  a 
•winding  path  which  starts  from  the  square  repre- 
senting an  island  in  a  lake.  The  trees,  buildings,  and 
living  forms,  along  the  path,  indicate  stations  and 
incidents ;  and  the  sheafs  and  small  circles  the  dura- 
tion of  their  stay  and  march.  The  path  divides 
towards  the  end,  and  terminates  at  the  different 
places  selected  for  settlement. 

A  more  pictorial  account  is  furnished  by  Cut  C, 
representing  the  training  undergone  by  Aztec  chil- 
dren. 

The  first  two  groups  represent  their  punishment; 
the  last  two  their  work,  as,  bringing  wood  and 
making  tortilla  bread,  fishing  and  weaving.  The 


OoDOO 
OOOOO 


70  OO 

oo  ooo 

OOOOO 


CUT  C. 


6O  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

small  circles  indicate  their  age;  the  larger,  adjoin- 
ing, their  allowance  of  tortillas. 

Among  the  many  specimens  of  Maya  hierogly- 
phics which  yet  await  solution,  we  have  room  but 
for  one,  Cut  A,  taken  from  the  Tablet  of  the  Cross 
at  Palenque. 

Beside  the  twenty  thousand  books,  manuscripts, 
maps  and  pamphlets,  constituting  the  Bancroft 
Library  proper,  there  are  belonging  to  the  collec- 
tion two  hundred  thousand  Pacific  Coast  journals, 
and  an  Index  of  Subjects,  embracing  every  branch 
of  knowledge.  The  Index  alone  cost  Mr.  Ban- 
croft thirty  thousand  dollars  to  make,  but  it  adds 
four- fold  to  the  value  of  his  library.  .  This  collec- 
tion occupies  over  half  a  mile  of  shelving. 


GEORGE  F.  BECKER. 

THE  collection  of  books  belonging  to  George  F. 
Becker,  Professor  of  Mining  and  Metallurgy,  in  the 
University  of  California,  numbers  about  twenty-five 
hundred  volumes,  and  is  partly  devoted  to  the 
special  subjects  of  technology,  mining,  metallurgy 
and  the  natural  sciences,  partly  to  general  litera- 
ture. 

Many  of  his  scientific  works  are  probably  not  to 
be  found  elsewhere  in  the  state;  all  are  valuable  as 
being  the  best  authorities  to  be  obtained  on  the 
subjects  o'f  which  they  treat.  The  most  notable 
are  Michaud's  North  American  Silver,  in  two 
volumes,  published  early  in  1800  ;  Journal  der 
reinen  und  angewandten  Mathematik,  heraus- 
gegeben  von  Crelle,  in  seventy  quarto  volumes; 
CEuvres  de  Laplace,  government  edition  in  seven 
volumes,  quarto;  Zeitschrift  fur  das  Berg,  Hutten 
und  Salinen-  Wesen  in  Preusschen  Staate,  in 
twenty-six  quarto  volumes  ;  Revue  Universelle 
des  Mines,  in  forty-one  volumes,  octavo ;  Berg-und 
Hutten- Mdnnisches  Jahrbuch,  fifteen  volumes  out 
of  twenty-five  ;  Fortschritte  der  Physik  von  der 
pkysikalischen  Gesellschaft  zu  Berlin,  twenty-eight 
volumes;  Agricola  de  re  Metallica,  published  in 
1557;  Brueckmann;  Magnalia  Dei  in  Locio  sub- 
terraneis,  1727;  Reamur,  L  Art  de  convertin  le 
fer  forge,  en  acier,  1722;  and  Kirchmayer  ;  In- 
stitutionis  Metallicae,  1687. 


THE  REV.  DR.  A.  S.  BETTELHEIM. 

DR.  BETTELHEIM,  .Rabbi  of  the  church  Ohabai 
Shalome  of  San  Francisco,  whose  broad  and 
liberal  views  have  attracted  much  attention,  has  a 
collection  of  about  sixteen  hundred  volumes,  com- 
prising some  Latin,  Greek,  German  and  English 
standard  authors,  but  consisting  mainly  of  Hebrew 
works,  theological  and  belles-lettres.  Many  of 
the  latter,  even  those  of  more  recent  date,  are  of 
great  rarity.  There  are  usually  much  smaller  edi- 
tions published  of  works  in  the  Hebrew  than  in 
other  languages,  consequently  a  Hebrew  book 
fifty  years  old  is  frequently  much  rarer  than  an 
English,  French  or  German  book,  dating  two  or 
three  centuries  back. 

Among  the  most  valuable  in  this  collection  are 
Midrash  Rabba,  editio  princeps,  folio,  Amsterdam, 
1622;  the  Old  Testament,  folio,  Benevenisto, 
Venice,  1593;  Tarjumim  Sk'lah,  editio  princeps, 
Amsterdam,  1642;  Mechiltah^  editio  princeps, 
Venice,  Daniel  Bornberg,  1544;  Aruch,  Talmudi- 
cal  lexicon,  Basil,  edited  by  Samuel  Arcavalty, 
1698;  Tashbatz  (in  rich  old  binding),  Amsterdam, 
1683;  Zohal,  with  Latin  index  and  preface,  Cre- 
mona, 1658;  Abaravanel,  Latin  index  and  preface, 
rarest  edition,  Hanau,  1710;  Meor  Enayim,  from 
Azaryah  De  Rosse,  and  editio  mantua,  eighteenth 
November,  [573,  a  very  rare  edition. 


THE    REV.  DR.  A.  S.  BETTELHEIM.  63 

The  literature  of  Talmudical  Responsis  is  repre- 
sented in  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  volumes. 
The  rarest  is  the  Responis  of  Rabbi  Meyer  Rothen- 
burg,  Prague,  1 608.  The  collection,  of  course,  in- 
cludes a  full  set  of  the  Talmud,  etc.  A  curious 
book,  and  one  of  some  bibliographical  note,  is  the 
original  edition  of  the  Fox  Fables,  published  with- 
out name  or  date,  but  supposed  to  be  printed  at 
Amsterdam,  in  1599. 


A.  J.  BOWIE. 

THIS  collection,  consisting  of  about  three  thou- 
sand volumes,  is  very  complete  as  a  chemical  and 
engineering  library,  embracing  the  various  stand- 
ard works  on  these  subjects  in  the  English,  French, 
and  German  languages,  and  including  a  number  of 
books  probably  not  to  be  found  elsewhere  on  the 
coast.  Among  the  rarest  and  most  valuable  may 
be  mentioned  Flaxman's  sEsckalus,  Faraday's 
Chemical  Manipulation,  published  in  London  in 
1 843,  and  an  old  copy  of  Agricola,  published  in 
1557,  with  quaint  and  curious  old  cuts,  represen- 
ting the  various  processes  in  mining  and  concentra- 
ting ore  in  olden  times,  and  the  machinery  and 
utensils  used. 

The  remainder  of  Mr.  Bowie's  collection — which 
he  considers  yet  in  its  infancy — consists  of  choice 
editions  of  English,  French  and  German  authors, 
with  a  fair  proportion  of  works  of  reference,  and 
some  choice  volumes  of  engravings;  among  the 
latter  the  Gallerie  Real,  Turin,  in  four  elephant 
folio  volumes.  Mr.  Bowie  has  made  a  little  spe- 
cialty of  memoirs,  and  has  a  collection  of  publica- 
tions from  the  time  of  Louis  XIV.  down  to  the 
present  day.  He  also  has  the  whole  of  the  British 
poets  and  essayists,  in  two  hundred  and  fifty  vol- 
umes, and  is  one  of  the  few  subscribers  on  this 
coast  to  the  publications  of  the  Shakespeare  Society 
of  London,  so  that  his  collection  is  being  constantly 
enriched  with  their  elegant  editions. 


J.  ROSS  BROWNE. 

THE  late  J.  Ross  Browne,  the  well-known  author, 
left  but  a  small  collection  of  books,  five  or  six 
hundred  in  number. 

It  should  be  understood  that  this  does  not  at  all 
represent  the  accumulations  of  Mr.  Browne's  life- 
time. Peculiar  in  his  character,  as  he  was  quaint 
and  eccentric  both  in  his  literary  productions  and 
manner  of  writing,  it  was  a  habit  of  his  life  never 
to  look  ahead' from  one  year  to  another. 

Leading  a  somewhat  itinerant  life,  sojourning 
now  for  a  few  years  in  this  place,  now  for  a  few 
years  in  that;  wherever  he  remained  for  any 
length  of  time  he  acquired  a  considerable  number 
of  books,  and  among  others  many  interesting  pres- 
entation copies  from  distinguished  literary  acquaint- 
ances and  friends.  When  a  time  came  that  it 
seemed  desirable  to  change  his  residence,  remark- 
ing that  he  could  not  be  bothered  with  "moving 
books,"  he  would  dispose  of  his  collection  in  the 
easiest  manner  possible,  selling  some  for  a  song, 
distributing  others  as  gifts.  In  this  way  what  would 
have  become  a  large  and  interesting  collection  was 
dispersed  as  fast  as  acquired. 

The  books  that  he  left  at  the  time  of  his  death 
were,  therefore,  a  recent  accumulation  of  ordinary 


66  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

standard  English  works,  with  a  few  autographical 
copies,  preserved  by  accident,  as  it  were.  One  of 
the  most  notable  among  the  latter  is  a  little  book 
of  Hans  Christian  Anderson's,  bearing  a  presenta- 
tion inscription  from  the  author  on  the  fly-leaf. 


A.  LEON  CERVANTES. 

FAR  up  on  the  top  of  the  coast  range  of  mount- 
ains, on  the  public  road  from  Los  Angeles  to  San 
Francisco,  by  way  of  San  Luis  Obispo  and  Santa 
Margarita,  between  the  two  last  mentioned  places, 
is  the  residence  of  A.  Leon  Cervantes,  the  pos- 
sessor of  a  small  collection  of  books,  somewhat 
singular  in  character.  The  books  are  of  a  mis- 
cellaneous nature,  with  a  fair  proportion  of  scien- 
tific works,  astronomy,  geology,  physiology  and 
mathematics,  each  being  well  represented,  as  well 
as  ancient  and  modern  history.  No  inconsider- 
able portion  are  in  French,  Spanish  and  Latin. 
The  collection  is  mainly  of  a  liberal  and  material- 
istic character,  and  contains  the  latest  researches 
of  European  and  American  writers  on  socialism 
and  other  questions  of  the  day,  together  with  such 
periodicals  as  the  Truth  Seeker,  the  Positive 
Thinker,  the  Physiologist,  published  in  New  York, 
and  the  Boston  Investigator. 

The  views  of  the  collector  are  best  expressed  in 
his  own  words:  "This  last  quality,  and  the  main 
character  of  the  whole  collection  above  stated, 
makes  it  worthless  and  worse  than  worthless,  hurt- 
ful to  the  people  of  this  country,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  those  blessed,  because  happy,  few,  who 
are  not  afraid  to  make  use  of  the  only  quality 
which  distinguishes  them  from  the  unreasoning 


68  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

animals,  and  prefer  to  love  the  God  of  nature, 
meaning  the  exact  sciences,  humanity,  truth,  etc., 
to  loving  myths  of  every  conceivable  description 
and  no  description  at  all,  which  are  generally  held 
as  holy,  because  incomprehensible,  and  the  more 
they  are  so,  the  holier  they  become." 

Mr.  Cervantes  adds  that  no  separate  rooms  are 
devoted  to  reading,  as  his  whole  house  is  at  the  dis- 
posal of  those  friends,  few  indeed,  who  will  dare 
peep  into  his  books  and  periodicals,  and  that,  in  his 
opinion,  his  cases  will  hardly  bear  description;  all 
that  could  be  said  being  that  they  are  stout,  clean, 
and  to  the  purpose. 


JOHN  M.  CHRETIEN. 

THE  collection  belonging  to  John  M.  Chretien 
consists  of  over  one  thousand  volumes.  In  it  are 
to  be  found  most  of  the  standard  works  of  both 
American  and  English  authors,  also  many  volumes 
in  the  French  language,  some  of  which  are  rare 
and  old  editions.  Prominent  among  these  may  be 
mentioned  the  complete  works  of  Rousseau  and 
Voltaire ;  the  memoirs  of  Madame  Recamier,  the 
Life  and  Letters  of  Madame  De  Stael;  the  poetical 
works  of  Victor  Hugo;  and  the  complete  works  of 
the  French  moralists,  Pascal,  La  Rochefoucault, 
La  Bruyere,  Vanvenargnes  and  Chateaubriand. 

The  works  of  Voltaire  are  in  seventy  volumes, 
by  Benchot,  and  were  a  present  to  Mr.  Chretien's 
uncle,  in  the  year  1830,  by  the  Marquis  de  La 
Fayette,  of  Revolutionary  fame. 

The  works  of  Rousseau  are  in  seven  volumes,  by 
L.  Fauche-Borel,  and  of  the  Neuchatel  edition  of 
1790. 

The  poetical  works  of  Victor  Hugo,  were  a 
present  from  General  William  I.  Sherman,  when  a 
lieutenant  in  the  United  States  army. 

The  collection  also  contains  many  valuable  art 
works,  with  all  of  those  illustrated  by  Gus- 
tave  Dore.  It  also  includes  the  most  extensive 
collection  of  large  photographs  of  actors  and  ac- 
tresses to  be  found  on  the  coast.  These  are  kept 


7O  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

in  an  elegant  album  of  monstrous  size,  made  for 
the  purpose. 

Mr.  Chretien  has  endeavored,  as  far  as  practica- 
ble, to  have  a  uniformity  in  the  binding  of  the 
different  works,  pleasing  to  the  eye.  With  this 
end  in  view,  he  has  had  most  of  his  books  bound 
in  calf.  This  collection  has  been  gathered  in  the 
last  six  years,  and  is  increasing  rapidly,  as  the 
owner  is  desirous  of  having  as  complete  and  valu- 
able a  library  as  possible. 


ALFRED  A.  COHEN. 

MR.  COHEN'S  library,  numbering  about  five  thou- 
sand volumes,  is  regarded  by  some  as  the  choicest 
private  collection  in  the  State.  The  room  con- 
taining the  books  is  about  twenty-nine  by  thirty- 
nine  feet,  situated  on  the  ground  floor,  and 
receiving  its  light  from  two  great  bay-windows, 
which  look  out  on  the  ever  green  lawns,  sweeping 
drives  and  choice  shrubbery  of  the  hundred-acre 
grounds  surrounding  Mr.  Cohen's  mansion  in  Ala- 
meda.  The  carpet  of  the  room  is  shaded  crimson, 
with  a  Turkish  border,  and  Turkish  rugs  lie 
scattered  about  before  mantel,  windows,  and 
library  tables.  Besides  the  regular  library  furni- 
ture upholstered  in  red  morocco,  chairs  and  sofas 
with  cloth  of  a  Persian  pattern  are  distributed 
about  the  room.  The  high  ceiling  is  frescoed  in 
India  style,  with  black  walnut  mouldings. 

The  book  cases,  which  occupy  every  side  of  the 
room,  save  the  spaces  relinquished  for  windows, 
door  and  mantel,  are  of  black  walnut,  exquisitely 
carved  and  finished,  and  arranged  after  a  unique 
and  tasteful  design  of  Mr.  Cohen's.  The  angles 
made  in  the  cases  at  the  four  corners  of  the  room, 
usually  waste  space,  are  converted  into  niches  for 
the  reception  of  statuary,  the  sides  lined  with  mir- 
rors, and  the  black  walnut  pediments  of  the  cases 
forming  a  graceful  arch  overhead.  The  lower 


72  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

divisions  of  the  cases  are  finished  into  cupboards, 
for  storing  away  pamphlets,  and  just  above  is  a 
convenient  sliding  panel,  which,  pulled  out,  makes 
a  little  desk,  eighteen  inches  broad,  on  which  to 
rest  heavy  and  awkward  folios. 

The  majority  of  the  books  are  composed  of 
standard  English  authors.  The  various  depart- 
ments of  history,  biography,  classical  literature  and 
belles-lettres  are  well  filled. 

The  most  notable  book  in  the  collection  is  an 
original  copy  of  the  famous  suppressed  works  of 
John  Milton,  published  in  1660,  together  with  a 
broadside  from  John  Goodwin.  So  few  other 
copies  exist  that  the  book  is  almost  unique.  Mr. 
Cohen  also  has  a  copy  of  the  original  proclamation 
by  Charles  II.,  issued  immediately  after  their  pub- 
lication, a  stained  yellow  document  in  Gothic  text, 
quaintly  worded,  which  begins,  ''By  the  king,  a 
proclamation  for  calling  in  and  suppressing  of  two 
books  written  by  John  Milton,  the  one  entitled: 
Jokannis  Miltoni  Angli  pro  Populo  Anglicano 
Defensio,  Contra  Claudii,  Anonymi  alias  Salma- 
sii.  Defensionem  Regiam  ;  and  another  in  answer 
to  a  book,  In  titled,  The  Portraitiire  of  His  Sacred 
Majesty  in  his  Solitude  and  Sufferings ;  and  also 
a  third  book,  Intitled,  The  Obstructors  of  Justice, 
written  by  John  Goodwin." 

Further   on    the  following  remarkable  passage 
occurs: 

"  And  we  do  hereby  also  give  special  charge  and 


ALFRED    A.    COHEN.  73 

command  to  the  said  Chief  Magistrates,  Justices  of 
the  Peace,  and  Vice-Chancellors  respectively,  that 
they  cause  the  said  books  which  shall  be  brought 
unto  any  of  their  hands  or  seized  or  taken  as 
aforesaid,  by  virtue  of  this  our  proclamation,  to  be 
delivered  to  the  respective  sheriffs  of  these  counties 
where  they  respectively  live,  the  first  and  next 
assizes  that  shall  after  happen.  And  the  said 
sheriffs  are  hereby  also  required,  in  time  of  hold- 
ing such  assizes,  to  cause  the  same  to  be  publickly 
burnt  by  the  hand  of  the  common  hangman.' ' 

The  collection,  also  contains  a  number  of  bibles 
of  various  dates  in  diverse  tongues,  notable  among 
which  is  the  Wy  cliff e  Bible,  the  Cambridge  edition, 
and  the  Hexapla. 

Mr.  Cohen  also  has  many  quaint  old  books  of 
more  or  less  variety,  and  a  number  of  compara- 
tively late  publications,  which  it  would  be  difficult 
to  duplicate,  all  possessing  some  inherent  interest 
for  which  they  were  purchased,  rather  than  for  their 
rarity  or  bibliographical  value.  Among  these  may 
be  mentioned  a  beautiful  copy  of  Dante,  published 
in  1568;  a  fine  old  edition  of  Pliny,  translated  into 
English  by  Philemon  Holland,  Doctor  of  Physicke, 
London,  1634;  an  interesting  old  book,  of  curi- 
ous character,  called  Universus  Terrarum  Nobis 
Orbis,  Scriptorum  Calamo,  illustrated,  in  two  folio 
volumes,  published  in  1713;  an  uncut  edition  of 
Henry  Gibbon  s  Miscellaneous  Works,  with  old 
silhouettes,  1796;  Jure  Divino,  a  satire  published 
in  London  in  1706,  by  "The  true  born  English- 


74  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

man;"  an  original  set  of  American  Archives,  of  the 
momentous  years,  1775-76;  the  History  of  the 
Civil  Wars  of  France,  in  Italian,  by  H.  C.  Davila, 
published  in  1647  5  and  the  original  edition  of 
Smolletf  s  History  of  England,  1758. 

Among  other  prized  works  is  an  original  Boy- 
dell's  Shakespeare,  a  reprint  from  the  famous  first 
folio;  The  Holy  Court,  in  five  tomes,  by  Sir  James 
Macintosh ;  two  folio  volumes  of  superb  botanical 
plates  by  Robert  John  Thornton;  Jar  din 's  Natu- 
ralists' Library,  fifty  volumes,  colored  plates  ; 
Selected  Pictures  ;  Rogers  Imitations  of  Early 
Drawings ;  Fac-similes  of  the  National  Manu- 
scripts of  England,  Scotland  and  Ireland  (similar 
to  those  described  in  Governor  Haight's  collection), 
and  Holbein  s  Court  of  Henry  VIII,  the  latter  a 
handsome  copy,  presented  to  Mr.  Cohen  by  his 
friend  Judge  Lake. 

Another  interesting  historical  work  of  which, 
probably,  no  other  copy  has  found  its  way  to  this 
coast,  is  known  as  Cartas  de  Indias,  a  thick  folio 
volume,  published  in  1877,  by  the  Spanish  govern- 
ment. This  is  a  history  of  the  various  colonization 
schemes,  and  of  the  countries  colonized  by  Spain, 
taken  from  the  old  Spanish  archives,  with  fac-similes 
of  the  most  important  manuscripts,  and  copies  of 
early  maps.  It  also  contains  fac-similes  of  the 
autographs  of  men  of  note  in  the  early  history  of 
Spain,  including  many  distinguished  soldiers  and 
navigators,  among  these  Christopher  Columbus, 
Americus  Vespuccius,  and  Cortez. 


P.  C. 

ON  the  line  of  the  Southern  Pacific  Railroad, 
within  an  hour  and  a  half  of- San  Francisco,  resides 
a  gentleman  of  means  and  culture,  devoted  to  scien- 
tific agriculture,  the  improvement  of  the  breed  of 
domestic  animals,  and  the  collection  of  rare  books. 

"Procul  negotiis 
Ut  prisca  gens  mortalium, 
Paterna  rura  bobus  exercet  suis, 
Solutus  omni  fonore." 

As  we  are  only  permitted  to  notice  his  unique 
collection  on  condition  of  suppressing  the  owner's 
name,  we  have  to  designate  Mr.  C.  by  an  initial 
only.  Many  of  our  readers  will  probably  recog- 
nize him ;  to  those  who  do  not  we  can  only  say,  in 
the  words  of  the  good  book,  '•  Seek  !  and  ye  shall 
find;"  and  judging  from  the  cordial  greeting  with 
which  one  stranger  at  least  was  welcomed,  we  be- 
lieve we  may  add:  "Knock!  and  it  shall  be  opened 
unto  you." 

Entering  by  an  unpretending  avenue,  skirted  by 
a  vineyard  on  either  hand,  you  alight  at  the  door 
of  a  typical  Swiss  cottage,  built  in  the  form  of  an  L, 
at  the  re-entering  angle  of  which  is  a  covered  por- 
tico some  twenty  feet  square,  furnished  plainly,  as 
an  out-door  sitting  room — a  feature  characteristic 
of  the  half-tropical  climate  of  Menlo  Park  and  its 
vicinity.  At  a  moderate  distance  in  the  rear  stand 


76  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

the  farm  buildings,  consisting  of  barns,  horse  and  cow 
stables,  wine-house  and  press,  milk-house,  boarding- 
house  for  the  laborers  employed,  etc.,  all  constructed 
in  uniform  elevations,  andarranged  in  convenient  and 
symmetrical  quadrangles.  Pipes  are  laid,  conduct- 
ing through  the  grounds  abundant  supplies  of  water, 
derived  from  tunnels  jn  the  neighboring  hill- 
sides, and  collected  in  a  large  stone  reservoir  of 
five  million  gallons,  constructed  at  an  elevation  of 
about  one  hundred  feet  above  the  dwellings.  Mr. 
C.  is  his  own  engineer,  architect,  draughtsman,  and 
general  superintendent;  and  in  the  tower  of  the  brick 
edifice  in  which  are  his  office  and  "cabinet  de  tra- 
vail," a  large  four-dialed  clock,  visible  from  every 
part  of  the  fourteen  hundred  acres  included  in  the 
ranch,  insures  regularity  in  the  movements  of  the 
hundred  or  more  laborers  constantly  employed. 

"  Pars  duciere  muros 

Molirique  arcem,  et  manibus  subvolvere  saxa: 
Pars  optare  locum  tecto,  et  concludere  sulco. 
Hie  portus  alii  eflfodiunt." 

Here  is  to  be  found  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
collections  of  books  in  America,  if  not  in  the  world. 
Outside  of  the  current  literature  of  the  day,  its 
special  character  is  derived  from  the  completeness 
of  its  collection  of  the  publications  of  the  great 
continental  printers,  Aldus,  Stephanus  and  the 
Elzevirs. 

The  press  of  Aldus  began  its  issues  in  1494,  and 
one  of  its  earliest  productions  was  the  first  edition 


p.  c.  77 

of  the  works  of  Aristotle  (1495-98).  This  was 
followed  in  rapid  succession  by  the  other  Greek 
and  Latin  classics.  The  labor  of  deciphering  man- 
uscripts, and  editing  and  superintending  the  press, 
was  soon  found  to  transcend  the  power  of  any  one 
man,  and  to  second  the  zeal  of  the  learned  printer, 
the  famous  Aldine  academy  was  formed.  Its  life 
was  not  long,  but  it  comprised  some  distinguished 
men  and  did  good  work  for  the  cause  of  learning. 
Bembo  was  one  of  its  members;  so  was  Erasmus 
and  the  monk  Bolzanus,  the  author  of  the  earliest 
Greek  grammar;  Alcionius  also,  who  burned  the 
only  manuscript  of  Cicero's  treatise,  De  Gloria, 
after  having  spoliated  its  ideas;  and  that  eccentric 
Andrew  Navagero,  who  yearly  sacrificed  to  the 
manes  of  Catullus  a  copy  of  the  poems  of  his  rival, 
Martial.  To  Aldus,  the  elder,  we  owe  the  pro- 
duction of  the  first  italic  character,  which  it  is  said 
he  modeled  on  the  handwriting  of  Petrarch. 
Through  three  generations  the  Aldine  press  contin- 
ued to  give  to  the  world  the  works  of  the  greatest 
writers  and  scholars  of  antiquity,  many  of  which 
it  rescued  from  oblivion,  and  thus  entitled  its 
founders  to  the  gratitude  and  admiration  'of  men  of 
letters  throughout  the  world. 

The  press  of  Stephanus  was  founded  at  Paris, 
by  Henry  the  Elder,  nearly  simultaneously  with 
that  of  Manutius  at  Venice,  and  is  the  most 
famous  of  France.  Greater  accuracy  is  claimed 
for  its  editions,  especially  in  the  Greek,  than  for 


78  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

those  of  Aldus,  and  probably  with  reason;  for  the 
utmost  care  was  taken  to  avoid  errors,  Robert, 
the  son  and  successor  of  Henry  I,  going  so  far  as 
to  publicly  post  his  proof  sheets,  with  the  offer  of 
a  reward  for  every  error  detected.  They  were 
also  enriched  with  notes  which  were  of  great  value, 
by  reason  of  the  erudition  which  characterized 
their  famous  family  for  several  successive  genera- 
tions. Besides  the  Greek  and  Latin  classics,  we 
owe  to  the  Stephanus  press  a  magnificent  early 
edition  of  the  bible  and  many  other  works. 
Robert  was  the  author  of  the  Thesaurus  Linguae 
Latinae,  printed  by  the  house;  and  Henry  Jr.,  of 
that  world-known  Thesaurus  Linguae  Gr<zc>  of 
which  Didot  has  recently  put  forth  a  new  and 
splendid  edition,  in  five  enormous  volumes. 

The  Elzevirs,  the  great  printers  of  Holland,  came 
later  than  both  Aldus  and  Stephanus,  and  the 
beauty  and  accuracy  of  their  editions  are  more 
generally  known.  The  library  of  Mr.  C.  contains 
not  less  than  fifteen  hundred  volumes  of  their 
issues,  each  selected  with  the  greatest  care,  every 
copy  a  gem  in  itself.  Wynne's  "Private  Libraries 
of  New  York  City,"  published  a  few  years  ago,  in 
describing  the  library  of  George  Folsom,  a  valuable 
collection,  mentions  as  a  remarkable  feature  the 
number  of  Elzevir  editions,  which  are  estimated  at 
2k>o>\&  four  hundred  volumes,  "which  are  probably 
more  numerous  than  in  any  other  [library]  in  this 
country." 


p.  c.  79 

Many  of  the  specimens  in  Mr.  C.'s  collection 
are  enriched  with  fine  bindings  bearing  the  coats- 
of-arms  and  family  crests  of  previous  noble  and 
royal  owners ;  others  on  which  the  most  famous 
binders  of  the  world  have  been  prodigal  of  their 
skill,  and  others  again  in  the  virgin  purity  in  which 
they  issued  from  the  press,  neatly  folded  and  col- 
lated, but  neither  sewed  nor  cut. 

The  tiny  volumes,  ranged  in  treble  rows  on  the 
book-case  shelves,  with  their  diverse  bindings,  pre- 
sent a  most  curious  appearance. 

Mr.  C.  has  also  a  collection  of  books  printed 
previous  to  the  Elzevir  publications,  in  the  same 
form,  some  of  which  are  more  valuable  than  the 
latter.  Among  these  are  four  books,  Roman  de  la 
Rose,  1529,  Alain  Ch' artier,  1529,  Champion  des 
Dames,  1530;  and  one  other,  the  first  books  ever 
printed  in  round  characters,  in  elegant  early  bind- 
ings of  red  morocco,  embellished  and  gilt-edged, 
for  which  he  paid  five  thousand  five  hundred  francs. 
Another,  U  Armure  de  Patience,  cost  eight  hun- 
dred francs. 

Notable  among  these  early  publications  is  Divi- 
ni  Platoni  Opera,  Lyons,  press  of  Jean  de  Tour- 
nes,  1550;  and  Ciceronis  de  Philosophia,  1585, 
printed  in  italic  text,  and  bound  in  brown  morocco, 
bearing  the  arms  of  Henry  III.  on  the  cover. 

The  Elzevirs  began  publishing  in  1590.  The 
earliest  specimen  in  Mr.  C.'s  collection.  Cento  Et  hi- 
C21S,  Amsterdam,  1599,  is  in  italic  text.  Among 


8O  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

other  notable  specimens  is  Theodoreti  Episcopi 
Cyri,  1630,  bearing  on  the  brown  morocco  binding 
the  coats-of-arms  of  Louis  XIII.  and  his  wife,  Queen 
Anne  of  Austria,  and  hundreds  of  gilt_/?<?#r  de  Us, 
alternated  with  the  letter  L  bearing  a  crown. 

Among  the  rarest  of  the  Elzevirs  may  also  be 
mentioned  Illustre  theatre  de  Corncille  (of  which 
there  are  but  three  known  copies  in  the  world),  Le 
Pastisfier  Francais,  (Euvres  de  Moliere,  L  Aima- 
ble  Mere  de  Jesus,  (Euvres  de  Balzac,  and  Les 
Odes  d  Horace  en  vers  Btirlesques. 

Two  books  from  the  famous  press  of  Wolfgang, 
deserve  special  mention,  CEuvres  des  deux  Corneille, 
and  Illustre  Theatre  de  Corneille,  the  latter  bear- 
ing Charles  Nodier's  autograph,  attesting  that  it  is 
the  only  known  copy  extant. 

Many  pages  might  be  written  upon  the  elegant 
morocco  and  vellum  bindings  ornamenting  these 
tiny  books.  The  choicer  specimens  have  the  in- 
side of  the  covers  finished  exactly  like  the  outside, 
or  else  lined  with  watered  silk,  frequently  with  fly 
leaves  of  silk.  The  edges  of  the  pages  in  meeting 
form  bands  of  gold,  and  the  corners  are  like  the 
sharp  edge  of  polished  metal. 

These  books  are  from  the  libraries  of  Charles 
Nodier,  Comte  d'Hoym,  Longepierre,  Pixerecourt, 
Marquis  de  la  Valliere,  Colbert,  Charles  Pieters, 
Baron  de  Pichon,  Marquis  of  Montesson,  King 
Henry  III.,  King  Louis  XIII.,  and  many  other 
celebrities. 


ADLEY  H.  CUMMINS. 

THE  polyglot  library  belonging  to  Adley  H. 
Cummins,  of  San  Francisco,  representing  upwards 
of  fifty  languages  and  dialects,  has  no  parallel  upon 
this  coast.  Numbering  only  eight  hundred  volumes, 
but  rapidly  increasing,  the  majority  of  the  books 
are  so  large  that  they  absorb  twice  the  shelf-room 
a  like  number  of  ordinary  books  would  occupy,  and 
have  been  collected  with  large  expense  and  dif- 
ficulty. 

Mr.  Cummins  studies  each  language  as  a  part  of 
one  grand  whole,  of  the  science  of  comparative 
philology.  His  collection  includes  books  in  the 
following  languages,  and  dialects,  arranged  in  their 
families : 

Semitic — Hebrew,  Chaldee,  Ancient  Syriac,  Modern  Syriac, 
Samaritan,  Arabic,  Ethiopic. 

Indo-Aryan  and  Iranian — Sanskrit,  Prakrit,  Hindustani, 
Zend,  Persian. 

Miscellaneous  and  Turanian — Turkish,  Basque,  Chinese, 
Japanese,  Malayan,  Australian. 

Classic,  etc. — Ancient  Greek,  Modern  Greek,  Latin. 

Romanic — French,  Provencal,  Langue  d'Oil,  Spanish,  Catalan, 
Portuguese,  Italian,  Romansch  of  Switzerland,  Roumanian  or 
Wallachian. 

Germanic — Gothic,  Old  High  German,  Middle  High  German, 
Modern  High  German,  Anglo-Saxon,  Old  Saxon  of  Germany. 
Old  Friesic,  Modern  Friesic,  Icelandic,  Danish,  Swedish,  Dutch, 
English. 

Celtic — Gaelic,  Irish,  Manx,  Cornish,  Welsh,  Breton. 

Slavonic — Old  Slavic,  Russian,  Polish,  Bohemian. 


82  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

Among  the  rare,  remarkable  and  valuable  works 
therein,  the  following  deserve  mention: 

English-Saxon  Grammar;  by  Elizabeth  Elstob, 
London,  1715,  quarto.  This,  the  first  Anglo- 
Saxon  Grammar  written  in  English,  all  previously 
having  been  in  Latin,  is  remarkable  for  being  the 
production  of  a  woman. 

Sis  son  s  Anglo-Saxon  Grammar;  Leeds,  1819, 
i6mo.  This  work  is  remarkable  only  for  the  fact 
that  F.  Michel,  the  French  Saxon  scholar,  who 
had  an  almost  complete  Anglo-Saxon  library  up 
to  1837,  the  date  of  the  publication  of  his  Biblio- 
theca  Anglo-Saxonica,  could  never  find  a  copy  of 
it  on  account  of  its  great  scarcity. 

Wilkins*  Sanskrita  Grammar;  London,  1808, 
quarto.  The  first  Sanskrit  grammar  printed  in 
England. 

Grammatica  Linguae  Copticae;  Peyron,  Turin, 
1840,  octavo.  A  valuable  and  critical  grammar  of 
the  Coptic  language;  very  scarce. 

Grammatica  sEgyptiaca;  Scholtz,  Oxford,  1778, 
quarto;  also  rare. 

GrammalicasEtkiopica;  Ludolf.  Frankfurt,  1702, 
folio.  This  is  the  first  comprehensive  grammar  of 
the  Ethiopic  or  Abyssinian  language,  an  important 
and  peculiar  member  of  the  Semitic  family,  ever 
published.  This  scholar,  by  his  great  industry  and 
several  works  regarding  Abyssinia  and  its  lan- 
guage, ancient  and  modern,  did  great  service  to 
Semitic  philology.  This  copy  has  bound  up  with 


ADLEY    H.    CUMMINS.  83 

it  a  very  elaborate  Dissertatio  de  Locustis  anno 
Praeterito  Immensa  Copia  in  Germania  visis, 
dated  1694,  by  the  same  author,  from  whose  title 
and  contents  it  would  appear  that  Germany  was 
visited  by  great  swarms  of  these  pests  in  1693.  It 
is  illustrated  with  quaint  engravings  of  the  locusts 
of  North  and  South  Africa. 

Stephani  Thesaurus  Grecae  Linguae;  Paris, 
1573,  six  volumes,  folio.  This  is  a  fine  copy  of 
the  first  edition  of  the  famous  Thesaurus  of 
Stephanus,  or  in  French,  Henri  Etienne. 

Cleas'ty1  s  Icelandic- English  Dictionary;  Claren- 
don press,  Oxford,  1874,  quarto;  a  monument  of 
modern  philology. 

Lexicon  Arabico  -  Latinum;  Freytag,  Halle, 
1830-7,  four  volumes,  quarto.  This  is  an  enlarged 
and  vastly  improved  edition  of  the  far-famed  Ara- 
bic Lexicon  of  Golius. 

Platt  -  Deutsches  Worterbuch;  Dahnert,  Stral- 
sund,  1781,  quarto.  A  scarce  and  excellent  dic- 
tionary of  the  Platt-Deutsch  dialect,  which  prevails 
over  a  large  part  of  Germany. 

Castelli,  Lexicon  Heptaglotton;  London,  1669, 
two  volumes,  large  folio,  in  the  original  binding  of 
calf.  This  work  contains  grammars  and  diction- 
aries of  Hebrew,  Chaldee,  Syriac,  Samaritan.  Ethi- 
opic,  Arabic  and  Persian,  the  adjunct  to  Walton's 
famous  Polyglot  Bible,  in  six  volumes  folio. 

Castelli  Lexicon  Syriacum/'Michaelis,  Gottingen, 
1787,  quarto.  This  is  the  Syriac  portion  of  the 


84  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

preceding  work,  added  to  and  improved  by  Mi- 
chaelis — a  lexicon  which  is  every  year  growing 
more  scarce  and  valuable.  It  is  sought  for  in  Eu- 
rope by  the  increasing  numbers  of  those  devoting 
their  attention  to  the  Oriental  languages,  for  the 
reason  that  it  is  the  only  Syriac  lexicon  that  can 
claim  any  approach  to  comprehensiveness.  It 
will,  however,  be  superseded  by  the  following: 

Thesaurus  Syriacus;  London,  folio.  This  mag- 
nificent work,  which  will  be  of  infinite  credit  to  the 
Orientalists  who  are  at  work  upon  it,  and  of  the 
greatest  imaginable  service  to  the  students  of 
Syriac,  a  language  possessing  a  very  rich  literature, 
is  to  be  completed  in  ten  fasciculi  (at  twenty-one 
shillings  each),  at  the  Clarendon  press,  Oxford. 
Four  parts  have  already  been  issued  since  1868. 
The  managing  editor  is  R.  Payne  Smith. 

EtymologicumAnglicanum;  Junius,  Oxford,  1 743, 
folio.  An  English  etymological  dictionary  of  the 
last  century,  with  definitions  in  Latin;  a  creditable 
performance  for  its  time;  now  a  scarce  and  valuable 
work. 

Lexicon  sEgyptiaco-Latinum;  Scholtz,  Oxonii, 
1775,  quarto;  an  early  and  scarce  Coptic  lexicon. 

Etymologic?  sEgyptiaccz,  Rossii,  Romse,  1808, 
quarto,  a  lexicon  of  the  Coptic,  composed  with  a 
view  to  proving  the  Coptic  to  belong  to  the  Semitic 
family  of  languages. 

Sanskrit-English  Dictionary;  Monier  Williams, 
Oxford,  1872,  quarto;  a  most  excellent  Sanskrit 


ADLEY    H.    CUMMINS.  85 

lexicon,  philologically  arranged  with  special  refer- 
ence to  Greek,  Latin,  Gothic,  German,  Anglo- 
Saxon  and  other  cognate  Indo-European  languages. 

Lexicon  Aethiopico-Latinum,  Dillmann,  Leipzig, 
1865,  folio.  An  important  work,  the  only  Ethiopic 
lexicon,  issued  since  that  of  Job  Ludolf. 

Bibliotheca  Anglo- Saxonica,  Michel,  Paris. 
1837,  octavo,  intended  to  be  a  complete  bibliog- 
raphy of  the  Anglo-Saxon  language  up  to  the 
date  of  its  issue.  This  is  a  very  scarce  work, 
only  one  hundred  copies  having  been  printed. 

Evangelia  Gotkica  et  Saxonica,  Dordrecht, 
i655~Junius  and  Marshall,  small  quarto.  This  is 
the  first  edition  of  the  Gothic  Gospels,  and  second 
edition  of  the  Saxon,  printed  in  parallel  columns. 
The  Gothic  text  is  very  corrupt.  The  Gothic 
glossary  therein  is,  therefore,  necessarily  uncritical. 
The  Gothic  text  is  in  the  original  character.  A 
vast  amount  of  general  erudition  was  expended 
upon  this  work  by  its  editors. 

Layamori s  Brut,  Sir  Frederick  Madden,  Lon- 
don, 1847,  three  volumes,  royal  octavo.  A  highly 
important  publication  of  the  poetical  semi-Saxon 
paraphrase  of  the  Brut  of  Wace,  with  translation 
and  glossary. 

The  Oera  Linda  Bbk,  London,  1876,  octavo; 
written  in  old  Friesic  by  a  modern  Hollander;  one 
of  the  most  successful  and  astonishing  literary  for- 
geries of  history. 

Ulfilas, Gabelentz  &  Loebe,  Leipzig,  1843,  quarto. 


86  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

This  is  the  best  edition  of  the  remains  of  the  Bible 
translated  into  Gothic  in  the  fourth  century,  by 
Bishop  Ulfilas.  The  manuscript  from  which  the 
fragmentary  gospels  are  edited  is  a  mulberry-tinted 
vellum,  termed  the  "Codex  Argenteus,"  the  letters 
upon  it  being  in  silver  (and  in  gold),  in  a  hand  of 
the  fifth  century.  It  is  now  in  the  library  of  the 
university  of  Upsala,  in  Sweden.  The  letters  are 
inscribed  upon  it  with  such  marvelous  regularity 
and  accuracy  that  a  well-known  Scandinavian 
scholar  erroneously  imagined  that  they  were  printed 
upon  the  vellum,  but  tests  with  the  microscope 
have  demonstrated  that  they  were  written,  and  not 
imprinted. 

Hickesii  Linguarum  Vett.  Septentrionalium 
(Anglo-Saxon.,  Moeso-Gothic.,  Franco-Theotisc., 
Island).  T  hesaurus  grammatico-criticus  et  Archcs- 
ologicus,  Oxonii,  1703-5,  three  volumes  in  two, 
folio.  A  valuable  work,  of  which  some  copies 
have  been  sold  at  twenty-six  pounds  and  over. 
This  is  the  famous  Hickes'  Thesaurus  of  Northern 
and  Germanic  literature,  a  work  of  great  indus- 
try, remarkable  research,  and  considerable  eru- 
dition, which  contains  Anglo-Saxon,  Icelandic  and 
Gothic  grammars,  plates  of  Saxon  coins,  valuable 
Anglo-Saxon  fragments,  and  a  comprehensive  cat- 
alogue of  Anglo-Saxon  codices  and  literature. 

Anglo-  Saxon  Leechdomsy  Wortcunning,  and  Star- 
craft,  Cockayne,  London,  1864,  three  volumes, 
octavo.  This  is  a  work  illustrating  the  medical 


ADLEY    H.    CUMMINS.  87 

and  other  sciences  of  our  ancestors  prior  to  the 
Norman  conquest.  These  volumes  are  interesting, 
not  only  for  the  scientific,  but  also  for  the  social 
aspect  of  the  Saxons  that  they  present.  It  may  be 
remarked  that  their  medical  science  was  a  perfect 
riot  and  chaos  of  superstition. 

Baedae,  Historia  Ecclesiastica,  Smith,  London, 
1722,  folio.  The  venerable  Bede's  ecclesiastical 
history,  with  King  Alfred's  Anglo-Saxon  transla- 
tion. A  new  edition  of  the  Saxon  text  is  greatly 
needed  on  account  of  the  scarcity  and  cost  of  this 
folio. 

Schilteri  Thesaurus,  Ulmae,  1727-8,  three  vol-. 
umes,  folio.     Schilter's  valuable  Thesaurus  of  Ger- 
manic antiquities,  literary,  civil  and  ecclesiastic. 

The  Bhagvat-Geeta,  translated  by  Wilkins,  i  785, 
subscribers'  reprint  at  the  Bradstreet  Press.  New 
York,  of  an  otherwise  unprocurable  work. 

Kalidasae  Sakuntala.  M.  Williams,  Hertford, 
1853,  octavo.  Elegant  edition  of  the  original  text 
of  this  excellent  Hindu  Drama.  The  Sanskrit  text 
is  in  black  type;  the  Prakrit,  the  dialect  spoken  by 
the  women  and  inferior  characters,  in  red.  A 
caustic  commentary  on  the  gallantry  of  the  Orientals 
towards  women. 

Mahabharata,  Pandits,  Calcutta,    1834-9,    five 

volumes,  quarto.    The  scarce  and  valuable  edition  of 

an  enormous  Sanskrit  Epic,  or  collection  of  epics. 

Mr.  Cummins  designs  to  gather,  read  and  study 

the  standard  works  of  the  various  languages;  in 


PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

other  words,  their  classical  literature,  together 
with  their  grammars  and  vocabularies.  In  many 
languages  there  is  nothing,  or  almost  nothing,  but 
a  Biblical  or  religious  literature.  Others,  as  the 
Syriac,  Arabic,  Persian,  Sanskrit,  Icelandic,  and 
Proven9al,  have  a  magnificent  literature. 

It  may  be  interesting  to  note  that  the  following 
languages  possess  an  indigenous  religious  literature. 

The  Sanskrit  in  the  Vedas.  The  Zend  contains 
the  sacred  literature  of  the  Parsees,  the  Zoroastrian 
writino-s  termed  the  Zend  Avesta. 

o 

The  Chinese,  in  the  writings  of  Confucius^  and 
Lao-tsee,  both  contemporaries  of  Sakya  Buddha, 
whose  sacred  writings  are  to  be  found  in  the  Pali  of 

o 

Ceylon,  a  language  which  bears  the  same  relation- 
ship to  Sanskrit  that  Italian  does  to  Latin. 

The  Icelandic,  which  has  handed  down  to  us  in 
the  Edda  (Norse  for  "great -grandmother,"  or 
perhaps  in  this  case  rather  "  Grandmother's  Tales  ") 
the  ancient  myths  and  fables  of  the  northlands,  illus- 
trating the  mythology  of  the  Scandinavians.  This 
is  in  two  divisions,  named  respectively,  Saemund's, 
or  the  "  Elder  Edda,"  and  the  younger,  or  prose 
Edda,  termed  sometimes  the  "  Snorre  Edda." 

As  intimated  before,  this  library  has  not  been 
collected  as  a  curiosity,  but  for  practical  use  by  the 
owner,  and  the  majority  of  the  works  are  full  or 
half  bound  in  morocco,  vellum  or  calf,  as  books  in- 
tended for  a  life-time  of  constant  use  should  be. 
Mr.  Cummins  is  a  philologist  in  the  truest  sense  of 


ADLEY    H.    CUMMINS.  89 

the  word :  a  lover  of  languages.  Nine  years  ago, 
with  a  foundation  knowledge  of  the  languages  com- 
prised within  an  ordinary  college  course,  he  took  up 
by  himself  the  study  of  several  others,  more  for  the 
sake  of  usefully  employing  his  leisure  time,  than 
of  making  a  specialty  of  the  study.  Gradually  he 
became  conscious  of  the  wide  field  afforded  by  the 
study  of  philology,  and  went  to  work  with  a  vigor. 
The  very  fact  of  the  limited  time  at  his  disposal, 
remaining  from  his  business  engagements,  has  only 
added  to  his  zeal. 

It  must  not  be  understood  that  a  student  of 
comparative  philology  acquires  a  speaking  knowl- 
edge of  all,  or  in  fact  necessarily  many  of  the 
languages  with  whose  grammar,  vocabulary  and 
literature  he  becomes  thoroughly  familiar.  Speak- 
ing a  few  of  the  tongues  with  which  he  has  become 
acquainted,  this  gentleman  has  investigated  and 
mastered,  in  the  manner  indicated  above,  as  many 
as  thirty-nine  different  languages  and  dialects. 


HORACE  DAVIS. 

THE  collection  of  books  belonging  to  our  worthy 
representative  in  Congress  is  a  family  library  of 
about  fourteen  hundred  volumes,  composed  mainly 
of  English  standard  literature,  with  the  complete 
works  of  leading  French  and  German  authors. 
The  list  of  English  books  embraces  the  complete 
works  of  Leigh  Hunt,  Lamb,  De  Quincey,  Gold- 
smith, Scott;  Dickens,  Thackeray,  etc.,  and  among 
American  writers  in  prose  and  verse  are  Haw- 
thorne, Irving,  Cooper,  Longfellow,  Whittier  and 
many  others.  The  collection  contains  a  number  of 
valuable  books  of  political  history  and  records  of 
the  Pacific  coast.  Mr.  Davis  also  has  The  Aldine 
Poets,  and  a  full  set  of  The  British  Poets,  in  eighty- 
eight  volumes. 

In  the  collection  is  an  elegant  large  paper  edition 
of  Bancroft 's  United  States  History,  presented  to 
Mr.  Davis  by  his  uncle,  the  eminent  historian.  He 
also  has  a  number  of  books  formerly  belonging  to 
his  father,  "Honest  John  Davis,"  Governor  of 
Massachusetts.  Among  these  are  The  Memoirs 
of  Aaron  Biirr,  by  Matthew  L.  Davis,  published 
in  1836,  and  The  Life  of  George  Washington, 
published  in  1807,  both  bearing  the  authors'  auto- 
graphs. Mr.  Davis  also  has  some  curious  fac- 
similes of  ancient  maps,  which  have  been  made  for 
him. 


HORACE    DAVIS.  9  I 

The  library  is  tastefully  furnished  with  carpet 
of  softly-toned  drabs  and  shaded  red  border.  The 
furniture  is  of  black  walnut  and  red  morocco,  some 
odd  chairs  interspersed,  a  handsome  library 
table  occupying  the  centre  of  the  room.  The 
cases  are  of  black  walnut,  nicely  finished,  and  sev- 
eral engravings  and  paintings  of  merit  hang  upon 
the  walls.  Above  one  of  the  cases  is  a  bust  of 
John  Davis.  A  group  of  Rogers,  The  Union 
Refugees,  has  some  little  historical  interest.  The 
artist  himself  gave  it  to  a  fair,  during  the  war,  to 
be  sold  for  the  benefit  of  the  Sanitary  Commission. 
It  was  purchased  by  Mrs.  Davis  and  sent  to  her 
son.  In  the  little  study  adjoining  the  library  is  a 
rich,  old-fashioned  rosewood  secretary,  with  silver 
handles  to  the  drawers,  a  curious  old  clock,  and 
several  other  pieces  of  furniture  long  in  the  pos- 
session of  the  family,  looking  quaint  in  a  new 
country  like  California  where  the  furniture  is  so 
prone  to  smell  of  fresh  varnish. 


CHARLES  AND  M.  H.  DE  YOUNG. 

THE  proprietors  of  the  San  Francisco  Chronicle 
have,  at  their  elegant  residence  on  Eddy  street,  one 
of  the  most  tastefully  fitted  up  libraries  in  the  city. 
The  room  is  located  on  the  parlor  floor,  is  about 
eighteen  feet  square,  and  well  lighted.  The  fur- 
niture is  massive  black  walnut,  covered  with  horse- 
hide  leather  colored  red,  with  a  monogram  in  gilt 
embossed  on  the  backs. and  cushions  of  the  easy 
chairs.  The  room  also  contains  a  capacious  lounge 
similarly  upholstered, a  heavily  carved  writing-table, 
and  companion  dwarf  book-cases  in  walnut. 

Here,  also,  is  an  elegant  and  complicated  music- 
box,  about  18x36  inches,  lately  bought  at  Geneva, 
Switzerland,  by  Mr.  De  Young,  during  his  late  trip 
to  Europe,  which  plays  eight  different  operatic 
gems.  Besides,  there  are  separate  accompaniments 
of  the  mandoline,  harp  and  bells,  either  or  all  of 
which  can  be  connected  with  the  music-box  proper 
at  pleasure  when  playing.  The  bells  are  acted  upon 
by  a  string  of  hornets  attached  to  springs  worked 
by  the  machinery  of  the  box.  The  music  is  clear, 
the  notes  distinct,  and  the  effect  most  pleasing.  It 
is  a  wonder  in  the  way  of  invention,  and  is  so  ar- 
ranged as  to  play  waltzes,  galops  and  polkas  for 
quadrilles  and  other  terpsichorean  amusements. 
Another  novelty  and  curiosity  is  a  beautiful  trans- 
parent glass  wine-decanter,  at  the  bottom  of  which 


CHARLES  AND  M.  H.  DE  YOUNG.  93 

is  a  musical  contrivance  concealed  by  a  ground- 
glass  covering,  which,  upon  being  wound  up,  plays 
the  ''Miserere"  from  Trovatore,  and  the  ''Man- 
dolinata."  It  is,  however,  so  ingeniously  arranged 
that  it  is  not  until  the  decanter  is  lifted  from  the 
table  that  it  begins  to  play,  when  a  strange  and 
beautiful  melody  issues  from  the  otherwise  morose 
and  taciturn  decanter. 

Upon  the  book-cases  are  a  pair  of  Japanese 
vases,  which  are  wonders  in  their  way.  .  Although 
but  about  eight  inches  in  height,  they  bear  on  their 
exterior  figures  representing  the  hundred  wise  men 
of  Japan,  who  lived  in  huts  and  subsisted  on  herbs, 
and  who  were  consulted  upon  'all  matters  of  state 
by  the  rulers  of  the  country.  The  faces  of  "  the 
hundred"  are  of  ivory,  inlaid  upon  the  vases,  and 
above,  below  and  between  the  figures  pulverized 
gold  is  brazed  upon  the  surface,  that  and  the  fig- 
ures being  highly  polished.  The  ware  is  what  is 
known  as  the  "Kutani,"  from  the  Congo  district, 
and  said  to  be  upwards  of  a  century  old.  Besides 
these,  two  fine  vases  in  bronze,  and  two  in  Italian 
marble,  the  latter  representing  winged  dragons, 
rest  upon  the  book-case. 

On  the  walls  hang  several  pictures,  and  among 
them  a  most  unique  device,  constructed  of  pins 
inserted  in  a  large  oval  silk  cushion,  the  handiwork 
of  Mrs.  Amelia  De  Young,  mother  of  the  Messrs. 
De  Young.  It  contains  thirty-one  thousand  six 
hundred  and  twenty  pins,  of  five  different  sizes,  the 


94  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

head  of  every  one  of  which  was  filed  bright  and 
shining  by  Mrs.  De  Young.  The  figure  represents 
a  half  wreath  combining  the  sturdy  oak  and  twin- 
ing vine,  and  shows  the  acorns  and  bunches  of 
grapes  in  juxtaposition,  the  vines,  twigs,  leaves, 
fruit  and  tendrils  being  fashioned  to  nature  by  pin- 
heads  of  different  sizes.  At  the  base  is  a  spread 
eagle  supporting  a  shield  bearing  the  date  ll  1869," 
all  in  pin-heads.  Surrounding  this  marvel  of  skill 
and  patience  is  a  deep  oval  frame  supporting  a 
clear  glass  covering.  Within  the  wreath  is  the  in- 
scription "  'Unequaled  Success  Our  Glory,'  dedi- 
cated to  the  San  Francisco  Chronicle,  September 
14,  by  Mrs.  A.  De  Y." 

Bronze  busts  of  Beethoven,  Bach,  Humboldt  and 
Washington,  occupy  niches  in  the  room.  Engrav- 
ings representing  a  family  of  stag-hounds,  and 
figures  of  "May"  and  "Meditation,"  hang  upon 
the  wall,  with  a  striking  crayon  sketch  of ''  A  Pea- 
cock and  Family,"  by  Mrs.  De  Young.  "  The  Pet 
Fawn,"  a  very  life-like  engraving,  also  finds  a  place 
upon  the  walls.  The  language  of  the  surroundings 
is  that  of  ease  and  evident  refinement. 

The  books,  numbering  something  less  than  a 
thousand  volumes,  are  of  miscellaneous  literature, 
well  selected,  with  some  choice  editions. 


WILLIAM  DOXEY. 

THE  collection  of  books  belonging  to  Mr.  Wil- 
liam Doxey,  though  small  in  number,  comprising 
some  eight  hundred  volumes,  contains  some  feat- 
ures worthy  of  note.  This  gentleman  has  made 
a  specialty  of  works  and  criticisms  on  English 
literature;  and  while  his  collection  is  already  rich 
upon  this  subject  he  has  an  extensive  and  carefully 
prepared  list  of  works  needed  to  make  this  depart- 
ment complete,  which  he  is  acquiring  as  rapidly  as 
his  means  will  allow.  He  has,  also,  a  few  well 
chosen  books  of  reference,  romance,  poetry  and 
art.  In  every  instance  the  editions  are  the  best 
procurable,  and  the  majority  are  handsomely  bound. 
Among  the  choicest  books  is  a  reprint  of  Hogarth, 
from  the  original  plates  retouched;  a  Gillray  from 
the  original  plates,  with  full  set  of  notes  and  com- 
mentaries ;  the  large  paper  Golden  Treasury  edition 
of  13 aeons  Essays  (of  which  only  five  hundred 
copies  were  printed)  ;  and  a  choice  edition  of 
White' s  Set  borne. 

For  four  years  past  Mr.  Doxey  has  been  gather- 
ing all  the  illustrations  of  Dickens  that  have  ever 
been  published.  He  has  collected  six  hundred  and 
twenty-five  of  the  original  illustrations,  fifty-one  of 
Darley's,  three  hundred  and  fifty-eight  from  the 
American  Household  edition,  two  hundred  and 
twelve  of  Sol.  Eytinge's,  over  eight  hundred  from 


96  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

the  English  Household  edition  (three  volumes  of 
which  have  not  yet  been  issued),  and  a  number  from 
other  sources,  making  in  all  over  two  thousand 
three  hundred,  many  of  them  superior  impressions. 
The  artists  represented  are  Cruikshank,  Darley, 
F.  Bernard,  Nast,  Sol.  Eytinge,  A.  B.  Frost,  Sey- 
mour, Phiz,].  Mahoney,  C.  S.  Reinhart, Cattermole, 
Brown,  C.  Green,  Thos.  Worth,  W.  L.  Sheppard, 
Marcus  Stone,  F.  A.  Frazer,  Landseer,  Maclise,  E. 
A.  Abbey,  E.  G.  Dalziel,  G.  S.  R.,  S.  L.  Fildes,  and 
others. 

When  his  collection  is  finally  completed,  which 
will  be  a  twelve-month  hence,  selecting  for  his 
text  the  English  Illustrated  Library  Edition  of 
Dickens,  he  will  procure  the  sheets,  have  the  plates 
uniformly  mounted  and  inserted  at  the  proper 
places,  and  the  edition  elegantly  re-bound,  making 
two  volumes  of  every  one.  This  will  be,  beyond 
question,  the  finest  and  most  unique  edition  of  the 
works  of  the  great  novelist  in  the  world. 

Mr.  Doxey  is  also  making  a  collection  of  Cruik- 
shank's  engravings,  and  already  has  thirty-five  steel 
engravings  from  the  original  plates  prepared  for 
the  Routledge  edition  of  the  Waverley  novels,  a 
book  of  eighty-two  illustrations,  and  several  other 
works  illustrated  by  that  artist,  among  these,  Life 
in  London  and  Finish  to  Life  in  London,  the  latter 
containing  the  original  hand  colored  plates,  both 
presented  to  the  collector  by  Jos.  W.  WTinans. 

Mr.  Doxey  also  has  several  Decamerons,  one  of 


WILLIAM    DOXEY.  97 

which  has  bound  up  with  it  the  Leopold  Fleming 
illustrations,  the  Milan  plates  and  the  Stodhart  il- 
lustrations, making  a  unique  edition.  He  is  also 
extra-illustrating  Walton's  Complete  Angler,  and 
is  engaged,  in  addition  to  the  literary  enterprises 
cited  above,  in  making  a  collection  of  portraits  of 
English  poets  and  authors. 


JOHN  T.  DOYLE. 

THE  library  of  John  T.  Doyle,  the  veteran  San 
Francisco  lawyer,  occupies  a  pleasant  room  on  the 
ground  floor  of  his  charming  cottage  at  Menlo 
Park.  A  large  bay  window,  opening  upon  a  ve- 
randa, commands  a  view  of  a  portion  of  the  grounds, 
with  wide  spreading  evergreen  oaks  and  fresh  green 
lawn,  where  bright  blooming  fuchsias  and  gerani- 
ums, tropical  shrubs,  palms  with  fan-like  leaves, 
roses  and  climbing  vines  flourish,  unterrified  by  the 
approach  of  our  California  winter; 

The  room  is  cosily  furnished,  plain  book-cases 
with  open  fronts  taking  up  all  the  available  space 
around  the  walls.  On  the  oaken  mantel  stands  a 
clock,  a  parian  bust,  and  two  of  Rogers'  groups: 
"The Country  Post-office,"  and  "One  More  Shot." 
Large  logs  smoulder  in  the  ample  fire-place,  and  the 
low  ceiling,  the  red  and  black  paper  on  the  walls, 
contribute  to  the  quaint,  old-time  air  that  prevails 
throughout  the  room. 

The  library  contains  over  three  thousand  vol- 
umes, about  one  tenth  of  the  number  being  ency- 
clopaedias, dictionaries,  and  works  of  reference  on 
special  subjects,  as  languages,  literature,  politics, 
law,  and  especially  biography,  geography  and 
travel.  One  case  is  occupied  by  a  set  of  the  Del- 
phini  and  Variorum  classics.  Early  Spanish- Amer- 
ican colonization,  however,  seems  to  have  been  the 


JOHN    T.    DOYLE.  99 

favorite  study  with  the  owner,  for  in  this  respect 
the  collection  is  unusually  full,  containing  most,  if 
not  all,  of  the  original  historians  of  the  Spanish 
conquest,,  as  Bernal  Diaz,  Gomara,  Mendieta, 
Cortes,  Las  Casas,  Jerez,  Cabeza  de  Vaca,  Venegas, 
Baegert,  Palou,  and  Mota  Padilla,  besides  the 
anonymous  writers  to  whom  we  owe  the  Apos- 
tolicos  Afanes,  Tres  Cartas,  etc.  The  folios  of 
Torquemada,  Oviedo,  Herrera,  Lorenzana,  Solis 
and  Salazar  y  Olarte  are  also  there,  and,  in  more 
convenient  form,  the  histories  of  Boturini,  Cavo, 
Alegre,  Alaman,  and  Carlos  Maria  Bustamante, 
besides  particular  biographies,  and  the  publications 
issued  under  the  name  of  Document  os  para  la  His- 
toria  de  Mexico.  The  origins  of  these  collections 
are  not  generally  known,  as  the  books  themselves, 
especially  the  fourth  series,  are  rare.  We  owe  the 
preservation  of  these  latter  to  a  royal  cedula  of 
February,  1 790,  whereby  Charles  IV.  directed  the 
collection  and  transcription  of  a  large  number  of 
manuscripts  illustrating  the  colonization  and  history 
of  the  various  provinces  of  his  Indian  empire,  for 
deposit  in  the  archives  in  Spain. 

The  supervision  of  this  work,  so  far  as  Mexico 
was  concerned,  was  confided  by  Revillagigedo,  the 
Viceroy,  to  Father  Fray  Francisco  Garcia  Figueroa, 
under  whose  direction  a  most  valuable  compilation 
was  formed,  consisting  of  thirty-two  folio  volumes, 
which,  until  a  recent  period,  existed  complete  in 
the  Mexican  archives,  but  which  of  late  have  been 


IOO  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

allowed  to  go  the  way  of  all  things  else  in  Mexico. 
The  fourth  series  of  the  ''documentos"  was  extracted 
from  these  volumes  and  published  in  \kfcfolletin  of 
the  Diario  oficial.  The  other  three  series  come 
from  other  sources:  mss.  diaries,  official  juridical 
investigations  deposited  in  the  Mexican  archives, 
etc.  Most  of  our  readers  will  recollect  the  account 
of  the  insurrection  in  the  city  of  Mexico  against 
the  Viceroy  Galvez,  related  in  the  Bachiler  of  Sala- 
manca. In  one  of  these  volumes  may  be  found  the 
original  depositions  of  the  witnesses  of  that  emeuie, 
wherein  various  imps  and  devils  are  gravely  stated 
to  have  appeared  on  the  house-tops  and  fired  on 
the  soldiers  with  worldly  muskets!  The  publica- 
tions issued  under  the  same  title  of  Documentos para 
la  Historia  de  Mejico,  by  D.  Joaquin  Garcia  Icaz- 
balceta,  is,  of  course,  a  different  collection.  It  is 
known  to  all  students  of  Mexican  history  and  has 
rendered  the  name  of  its  compiler,  who  has  sacri- 
ficed his  time  and  private  fortune  from  devotion  to 
the  history  and  literature  of  his  country,  honored 
throughout  the  world  of  letters.  Icazbalceta  real- 
izes in  his  life  the  beau  ideal  of  the  ancient  printer 
and  bookseller;  a  man  of  learning  himself  and 
whose  pursuit  is  dictated  not  by  sordid  consider- 
ations of  gain  but  by  the  pure  love  of  letters.  Few 
things  in  literary  history  is  more  touching  than  the 
concluding  paragraph  of  his  ''Advertencia"  pre- 
fixed to  Mendieta's  Historia  eclesiastica  Indiana. 
"My  cherished  hope"  says  he  "to  save  from  ob- 


JOHN    T.    DOYLE.  '    l'6'l 

livion  some  portion,  however  insignificant,  of  our 
historical  documents,  and  long  habits  of  continuous 
labor  may  possibly  lead  me  hereafter  to  some 
unimportant  publications,  but  I  do  not  expect  to 
continue  the  'coleccion  de  documentos,'  to  which, 
for  years  back,  I  have  given  all  my  disposable  time. 
Alone,  and  entirely  unaided,  I  have  completed  the 
publication  of  three  great  volumes,  and  I  may  claim 
to  have  done  all  that  could  fairly  devolve  on  a 
private  citizen.  But  I  do  not  adopt  this  determin- 
ation without  pain  when  I  contemplate  the  rich  col- 
lection of  materials,  which  have  been  accumulated 
in  my  hands,  and  which  yet  remain  inedited.  May 
they  some  day  fall  into  hands  more  able  than  mine 
to  continue  and  complete  the  laborious  task  which 
I  undertook  with  more  good  will  than  money,  and 
more  enthusiasm  than  pecuniary  success."  We  echo 
Mr.  Icazbalceta's  pious  wish  and  venture  to  suggest 
to  him  Mr.  Doyle  as  the  heir  to  these  inedited 
treasures.  That  he  has  all  the  necessary  good- 
will and  ability  to  give  them  to  the  public  is  evinced 
by  the  publication,  not  long  since,  of  Noticias  de 
la  Niieva  California,  a  valuable  contribution  to 
the  history  of  our  State,  elegantly  printed,  with 
photographs  of  various  mission  churches  and  scenes 
and  localities  in  California,  the  publication  of  which 
was  due  to  Mr.  Doyle's  enterprise,  and  the  liberal- 
ity of  Joesph  A.  Donohoe.  Among  Mr.  Doyle's 
wealthy  and  public  spirited  neighbors  at  Menlo 
Park  the  means  could  doubtless  be  obtained  to 
publish  these  valuable  documents. 


PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

The  California  collection  is  particularly  com- 
plete, containing,  we  believe,  every  work  known 
to  exist  on  the  subject,  even  to  the  journal  of 
the  Jesuits  expelled  from  Lower  California  under 
the  famous  pragmatic  sanction  of  February,  1767, 
from  the  time  the  decree  was  made  known  to  them 
at  Loreto  till  they  reached  their  destination  in  the 
Azores,  of  which  only  fifty  copies  were  ever  print- 
ed, and  the  manuscript  History  of  California  dur- 
ing his  own  time,  by  D.  Antonio  Ma.  Ozio.  Some 
of  these  old  books  contain  information  on  subjects 
of  natural  history  often  supposed  to  be  of  more 
recent  discovery.  Ex.  gr.  In  the  diary  of  P.  Con- 
sag,  of  his  voyage  of  exploration  of  the  peninsula 
and  gulf  of  California  (1751),  we  find  a  description 
of  the  "boomerang,"  as  a  weapon  in  use  among 
the  California  Indians.  It  is  popularly  supposed 
to  have  been  confined  to  the  barbarous  tribes  of 
Australia.  In  the  narrative  of  the  French  expedi- 
tion to  California  in  1767,  to  observe  the  transit  of 
Venus,  will  be  found  a  description  of  the  big  trees 
of  California  (Sequoia  gigantea),  the  engraving  of 
the  leaf  and  cone  of  which  leave  no  possible  doubt 
of  its  identity,  and  the  Vivaparous  fish  of  California, 
the  discovery  of  which  is  usually  credited  to 
Agassiz. 

A  pretty  full  collection  of  early  French  mission- 
ary "relations"  are  to  be  found  on  the  shelves, 
including  all  those  issued  by  Dr.  Shea,  of  New 
York.  Here  is  another  instance  of  a  self-sacrificing 


JOHN    T.    DOYLE.  103 

devotion  to  learning  and  science  worthy  of  com- 
memoration. Mr.  Shea  was  brought  up  to  the 
bar,  but  early  in  life  became  devoted  to  the  study 
of  early  American  missionary  efforts,  and  in  con- 
nection therewith,  of  Indian  ethnology  and  history. 
Becoming  possessed  of  about  four  hundred  dollars 
beyond  his  immediate  wants,  he  set  about  the  pub- 
lication of  such  inedited  manuscripts  on  his  favorite 
subject  as  he  was  able  to  obtain  access  to.  He 
secured  the  names  of  about  eighty  gentlemen  who 
were  willing  to  take  each  a  copy  of  such  works  as 
he  should  print.  One  hundred  copies  of  each  manu- 
script were  issued;  the  price  of  the  eighty  brought 
back  the  cost  of  publication,  and  the  extra  twenty 
copies  furnished  the  means  of  obtaining  other 
manuscripts  and  gradually  increasing  the  small  cap- 
ital invested  in  the  enterprise.  By  this  means  over 
forty  interesting  early  manuscripts  have  been  res- 
cued from  loss,  amonof  which  are  some  fifteen 

7  O 

vocabularies  of  the  various  Indian  dialects,  which 
present  probably  the  only  reliable  hope  of  ever 
obtaining  any  reliable  light  on  the  origin  of  the 
North  American  tribes  of  savages.  During  the 
thirty  years  of  his  labors  Dr.  Shea  has  had  to  con- 
tend with  poverty  and  ill  health,  and  to  supply  the 
wants  of  a  numerous  family  by  his  daily  literary 
labor;  but  his  devotion  to  learning  has  never 
flagged,  and  the  crowning  effort  of  his  press  has  been 
the  production  of  the  translation  of  Charlevoixs 
New  France,  in  six  ponderous  octavo  volumes,  a 


1O4  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

magnificent  specimen  of  typography  and  a  lasting 
monument  of  the  learning  and  devotion  of  the 
translator. 

Among  the  materials  of  Mexican  history  is  to  be 
found  Sumario  de  la  Residencies  Tomada  a  D. 
Ferdinando  Cortes,  Gobernador y  Capitan-  General 
de  la  N.  E.  (Nueva  Espaiia).  This  book  is  a  com- 
paratively recent  publication,  a  copy  of  the  deposi- 
tions taken  in  the  proceedings  against  Cortes,  with 
the  questions  put  to  each  witness,,  together  with 
the  full  answers.  The  manuscript  from  which  it 
was  copied  had  been  so  eaten  away  by  mice  and 
insects  in  Mexico,  that  it  was  illegible  in  places. 
These  blanks  are  supplied  conjecturally,  as  sug- 
gested by  the  context  in  notes.  Prescott,  in  the 
third  volume  of  his  "Conquest  of  Mexico,"  page 
327,  cites  it  as  an  instance  of  the  indignities  to 
which  the  very  greatness  of  a  man  will  some- 
times subject  him. 

The  collection  also  contains  a  curious  little  French 
book  called  A  Voyage  to  tJie  Purgatory  of  St. 
Patrick,  published  in  1867. 

Mr.  Doyle  has  had  one  hobby — a  fancy  for  col- 
lecting various  editions  of  Don  Quixote,  and  Don 
Quixotiana.  After  giving  away  a  number,  he  still 
has  twelve  or  fourteen  editions  left.  Among  these 
are  Smirkes,  with  proofs  of  the  plates,  London, 
1818;  Clemenciris;  Smollett's  quarto  (1755);  Ton- 
sons  four  volume  quarto;  Do  re 's  two  volume  folio, 
and  the  Spanish  Academy's  first  edition,  which  Mr. 


JOHN    T.    DOYLE.  1 05 

Doyle  has  made  unique  by  inserting  a  collection  of 
illustrations  from  various  editions,  making  eight 
volumes  out  of  the  original  four. 

This  library  is  also  notable  for  its  extensive  col- 
lection of  maps,  some  of  which  are  bound  up  in 
atlas  form,  others  nicely  mounted,  jointed,  and 
folded  in  cases,  covers,  or  packed  away  in  drawers. 
It  is  safe  to  say  that  no  other  private  and  probably 
no  public  library  on  the  coast,  has  so  extensive  a 
collection.  Many  of  these  are  government  maps, 
published  on  a  large  scale  and  in  many  sections, 
and  not  easily  procurable. 


JOHN  B,  FELTON. 

THE  library  of  the  late  John  B.  Felton,  of  Oak- 
land, is  a  large  and  attractive  room  on  the  ground 
floor  of  his  beautiful  residence  at  Adeline  Station. 
Several  windows  to  the  south  and  west  look  out 
upon  the  extensive,  and  artistically  laid  out  grounds 
surrounding  the  house.  The  carpet  is  of  rich 
shaded  crimson,  and  the  book-cases  and  library 
furniture  are  of  heavily  carved  black  walnut,  the 
chairs  and  sofas  upholstered  with  brown  morocco. 
A  bust  of  Mrs.  Felton's  father,  the  late  Judge  Bald- 
win, of  the  Supreme  Court,  adorns  the  top  of  one  of 
the  cases,  and  a  portrait  of  Judge  Field  with  reliefs 
of  the  latter  and  F.  L.  A.  Pioche,  hang  on  the 
western  wall.  Above  the  marble  mantel,  on  the 
south  side  of  the  room,  hangs  a  large  oil  painting 
by  a  famous  French  artist.  Two  choice  bronzes  of 
Michael  Angelo  and  Leonardo  da  Vinci,  are  notice- 
able among  works  of  art,  and  a  small  upright  piano 
and  rosewood  escritoire  complete  the  appointments 
of  the  room. 

The  library  contains  about  five  thousand  volumes, 
and  is  one  of  the  best  selected  in  the  state.  Mr. 
Felton  was  a  man  of  cultivated  taste,  possessing 
rare  mental  attainments,  and  an  ardent  bibliophile. 
Had  he  lived,  with  his  love  for  books  and  his  well- 
known  liberality,  his  collection  would  have  soon 
attained  magnificent  proportions.  A  notable  feat- 


JOHN   B.    FELTON.  1O7 

ure  of  the  library  is  its  lack  of  complete  editions. 
He  bought  only  the  books  he  liked,  and  many 
standard  writers  whose  works  seem  a  necessary 
element  in  the  smallest  collection,  are  here  only 
represented  by  a  few  scattering  books. 

The  subjects  take  a  wide  range,  embracing 
romance,  history,  biography,  poetry  and  the  drama, 
with  many  rare  and  elegant  editions,  and  a  large 
proportion  of  French  and  Spanish  books.  The 
Shakespearian  collection  comprise  the  Halliwell, 
Verplanck  (original),  Boydell,  Knight,  Collier, 
Hazlitt,  Reed-Johnson  and  Steevens,  and  Handy 
Volume  editions,  with  many  commentaries  on  the 
works  of  the  great  dramatist.  A  second  and  re- 
markable feature  of  the  library  is  the  collection  of 
editions  of  Rabelais,  six  in  number,  one  of  which 
is  of  great  rarity. 

Among  other  rare  or  choice  works  is  the  original 
edition  of  Horace  Walpole  s  works,  richly  illus- 
trated. The  comedies  and  tragedies  of  Dryden, 
1701;  the  1692  edition  of  Ben.  Jonsori s  Works; 
Froissarfs  Chronicles,  illuminated  ;  W rax  all' s 
Memoirs ;  and  a  beautiful  copy  of  Ovid,  two 
folio  volumes,  Amsterdam,  1702.  The  collection 
also  includes  a  number  of  art  works,  among  them 
several  that  are  costly  and  rare. 


H.  H.  HAIGHT. 

THE  late  Governor  Haight,  a  man  of  liberal  cult- 
ure, resided  with  his  family  in  the  suburbs  of  the 
quiet  village  of  Alameda.  A  simple  white  painted 
fence  incloses  the  extensive  grounds  surrounding 
his  residence.  It  is  a  miniature  farm,  with  fields, 
orchard,  large  barn  and  barnyard;  the  grounds  im- 
mediately adjacent  to  the  house  being  tastefully 
laid  out,  with  trees,  flowering  shrubs,  bunches  of 
pampas  grass,  and  almost  every  variety  of  flowers 
loading  the -air  with  their  fragrance.  The  house  is 
a  plain,  low  frame  building,  modest  without,  but 
nicely  furnished  within. 

The  library  is  on  the  ground  floor,  a  room  twenty 
by  twenty-three  feet,  lighted  by  a  large  bay  window. 
The  cases  are  of  black  walnut,  six  in  number.  The 
room  is  cheerfully  furnished,  with  comfortable  easy 
chairs  and  sofa,  library  table,  desk,  organ,  etc. 

An  oil  painting  of  a  Scotch  colly  hangs  over 
the  mantel,  and  there  are  portraits  of  the  chief 
justices  of  England  above  the  cases.  On  the  walls 
hang  two  paintings,  one  by  J.  G.  Brown,  of  New 
York,  '' What's  Your  Name?"  representing  a  sweet 
faced  school-girl  standing  before  the  black-board, 
chalk  in  hand,  gravely  looking  askance;  the  other 
a  "  Sunset  near  Monterey,"  by  Rix,  the  ocean 
waves  lashing  themselves  to  a  foam  against  some 
rugged  rocks,  on  the  summit  of  which  grow  a  few 


H.    H.    HAIGHT.  1 09 

gnarled  old  cedars,  all  lighted  up  by  the  glow  of 
the  sunset. 

The  books  are  about  two  thousand  in  number, 
chiefly  consisting  of  the  standard  works  usually 
found  in  a  gentleman's  library,  with  a  few  old  books 
of  early  English  history,  among  which  may  be 
noted:  A  Chronicle  of  the  Kings  of  England, 
published  in  1679,  and  Historic  and  Lives  of  the 
Kings  of  England  from  William  the  Conqueror 
to  the  end  of  the  Reigne  of  King  Henry  VIII.  by 
Wm.  Martin,  London,  1615. 

The  specialty  of  the  library  is,  however,  the 
books  relating  to  Scotland  and  early  Scottish  his- 
tory. Governor  Haight,  himself  of  Scotch  descent, 
would  seem  to  have  been  something  of  an  enthusi- 
ast upon  this  subject.  His  collection  embraces 
every  reliable  and  interesting  work  on  Scottish  his- 
tory, customs,  manners,  dress,  and  clans,  that  he 
was  able  to  procure,  and  is  probably  the  finest  col- 
lection on  that  special  subject  to  be  found  in  the 
State.  Among  the  books  are  The  Scottish  Gael; 
The  Highlands  and  Western  Isles  of  Scotland,  by 
John  Macculoch,  four  volumes,  London,  1824; 
History  of  Scotland  during  the  Reigns  of  Queen 
Mary  and  James  VI,  London,  1781;  and  Fac- 
similes of  Ancient  Manuscript  of  Scotland,  in 
three  immense  folios,  a  collection  of  historical  mss. 
illustrating  the  progress  of  society,  as  well  as  early 
political  changes  in  Scotland. 


RALPH  C.  HARRISON. 

THE  majority  of  bibliophiles,  in  their  zeal  for 
accumulating  books,  will  acquire  many  that  possess 
no  practical  value  or  intrinsic  interest;  that  come 
home  only  to  be  stored  away  upon  the  shelves,  and 
are  never  taken  down  save  to  be  dusted  and  replaced. 
Such  books  grow  to  be  a  burden  to  the  purchaser. 
They  look  a  mute  reproach  for  his  indiscretion 
whenever  he  approaches  his  cases.  To  get  rid  of 
these  volumes  the  ordinary  collector,  at  regular  in- 
tervals, puts  his  books  through  a  process  which  he 
calls  ''  weeding  out,"  when  he  culls  out  worthless 
volumes,  and  either  gives  them  to  less  critical  friends 
or  sends  them  to  auction  to  be  sold  for  a  song. 

If  Mr.  Harrison  has  any  such .  weakness  for  in- 
discriminate collection  his  books  do  not  betray  it. 
Among  his  three  'thousand  and  more  volumes 
there  is  scarcely  one  that  does  not  attest  intelligent 
and  thoughtful  selection.  A  distinguishing  nega- 
tive characteristic  of  the  library  is  the  almost  total 
absence  of  sets  of  books,  aside  from  a  few  works 
of  reference  in  many  volumes,  and  the  works  of 
some  of  the  leading  standard  authors  in  history 
and  general  literature.  The  volumes,  therefore, 
present  a  diversity  of  appearance  upon  the  shelves, 
gratifying  to  the  eye,  as  the  diversified  character 
of  their  contents  is  refreshing  to  the  mind. 

Such  a  library  it  is  hard  to  justly  describe  with 


RALPH    C.    HARRISON.  Ill 

limited  space;  so  'many  books  are  included  that 
would  admit  of  special  mention,  and  some  that 
almost  demand  extended  notice.  I  can  note  but  a 
few,  premising  that  these  are  only  representatives 
of  the  rich  literary  stores  of  the  collection. 

The  oldest  book  in  the  library  is  a  treatise  printed 
by  Ulric  Zell,  the  first  printer  of  Cologne,  before 
the  custom  of  inserting  dates  in  books  became 
prevalent.  It  is  in  elegant  binding  by  the  younger 
Derome,  and  the  best  authorities  place  the  date  of 
its  issue  at  1469.  Folio  wing  this,  is  Valerius  Max- 
imus,  printed  by  Peter  Schoffer,  one  of  the  invent- 
ors of  printing,  at  Mentz,  in  1471,  with  rubricated 
capitals;  and  Appiaris  History  of  the  Romans, 
printed  at  Venice  in  1477,  by  Bernard  and  Erhard 
Ratholdt.  The  Nuremberg  CJironicle>  printed  in 
1493,  a  large  folio,  in  the  original  hog-skin  bind- 
ing, with  brass  corners  and  metallic  clasps,  bearing 
the  coat-of-arms  of  the  city  of  Nuremberg  on  the 
cover,  is  a  book  well  known  to  collectors,  though 
of  considerable  rarity.  It  has  always  been  styled, 
by  way  of  distinction,  the  Nuremberg  Chronicle. 
It  is.  really  an  encyclopaedia  of  general  knowledge, 
up  to  the  date  of  its  publication.  The  engravings, 
which  are  upwards  of  two  thousand  in  number,  are. 
in  wood,  and  were  executed  by  Michael  Wolgemut 
and  Pleydenwurf,  the  former  of  whom  was  the 
master  of  Albert  Diirer.  The  subjects  are  por- 
traits of  illustrious  characters,  views  of  towns, 
etc.  This  is  said  to  be  one  of  the  most  extraor- 


1  I  2  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

clinary  and  curious  productions  of  the  fifteenth  cen- 
tury, very  interesting  to  the  lover  of  ancient  en- 
graving and  printing.  » 

Among  other  incunabula  is  a  copy  of  Stultifera 
Navis,  by  Sebastian  Brant,  printed  in  1497,  in  the 
original  binding;  the  Aldine  edition  of  Euripides, 
with  illuminated  capitals,  bound  by  Chambolle- 
Duru.  There  is  also  a  copy  of  Sophocles,  printed 
at  Paris  by  Simon  of  Cologne,  in  1528,  notable 
as  being  the  first  works  of  any  Greek  author  pub- 
lished as  an  entirety  in  Paris. 

The  library  also  contains  as  good  a  collection  of 
books  on  the  history  of  Typography  as  will  be 
found  in  the  State,  including  Sotheby's  Principia 
Typographical  The  Typography  of  the  Fifteenth 
Century,  elegantly  illustrated,  by  the  same  author; 
Ottley's  History  of  Engraving,  Fac-similes  of 
Scarce  and  Curious  Prints,  and  Ottley's  Inquiry 
concerning  the  Invention  of  Printing;  Singer's 
History  of  Playing  Cards;  and  Merlin's  Origine 
des  Cartes  a  Jouer. 

A  prominent  feature  of  this  library  is  the  num- 
ber of  extra  illustrated  works  it  contains.  Among 
these  may  be  mentioned  Hallant  s  Literature,  in 
three  volumes,  illustrated  with  over  two  hundred 
engravings  of  authors  named,  and  beautifully  bound 
by  Mathews,  an  excellent  American  binder,  in  red 
levant ;  Spence's  Anecdotes,  on  largest  paper; 
Wright's  History  of  England,  with  over  one  hun- 
dred illustrations;  Campbell's  Life  of  Mrs.  Siddons, 


RALPH    C.    HARRISON.  113 

extensively  illustrated  by  the  addition  of  more  than 
one  hundred  plates ;  and  Cunningham's  Life  of  Nell 
Gwyn,  very  profusely  illustrated. 

A  copy  of  the  original  edition  of  Bewick's  Fables, 
published  at  Newcastle,  in  1820,  bears  his  auto- 
graph on  the  fly-leaf.  Balzac's  Les  Contes  Drola- 
tiques,  illustrated  by  Dore,  contains  the  autograph 
of  the  latter.  Mr.  Harrison  has  also  Didot's  editions 
of  Virgil  and  Horace,  published  by  the  elder  Didot 
for  the  purpose  of  presenting  to  his  friends,  when 
he  retired  from  business. 

The  collection  of  dramatic  literature  is  very  com- 
prehensive, containing  the  works  of  the  best  drama- 
tists and  dramatic  critics.  It  includes  ten  editions 
of  Shakespeare,  Webster's  Dramatic  Works,  and 
the  complete  works  of  Jonson,  Davenant,  Cokain, 
Ford,  Middleton,  Marlowe,  Chapman,  Crowne, 
Peele,  Shirley,  Lilly,  Dekker,  Voltaire,  Moliere, 
etc.,  with  the  publications  of  the  Shakespeare 
Society. 

Among  Art  works  may  be  noted  Albert  Durer's 
Little  Passion ;  The  British  Gallery  (india  paper) ; 
Momiments  Inedits  de  Libri;  Holbein  s  Court  of 
Henry  VIII;  Wcy1  s  Rome;  Gillray  s  Caricatures; 
Racine f s  L  Ornament  Polychrome;  Wilkic  Gal- 
lery; Tiirner  Gallery;  Stafford  s  Gallery;  Ho- 
garth s  Gallery;  Emaux  de  Petitot  (india  paper) ; 
Trajani  Colonna  (containing  engravings  of  all  the 
sculptures  on  Trajan's  Column  by  Bartolo),  an 
oblong  folio  containing  one  hundred  and  twenty 


I  1 4  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

plates;  David's  Etruscan  Antiquities,  1785,  five 
quarto  volumes;  Stothand's  Monumental  Effigies; 
several  books  of  etchings;  a  prayer  book,  exquisitely 
illuminated  after  the  style  of  old  missals  ;  the 
original  edition  of  Harding' s  Illustrations  of 
Shakespeare,  on  large  paper,  1793;  and  S  pence's 
Polymctis,  together  with  a  fine  collection  of  rare 
old  engravings. 

Other  books  and  editions  deserving  mention  are: 
an  edition  of  Rabelais,  published  at  Amsterdam, 
in  1741,  three  volumes,  with  Picart's  illustrations; 
Johnson's  Typographia,  largest  paper;  Harleian 
Miscellany;  Cory  at' s  Crudities,  three  volumes, 
1786;  Gull's  Horn  Book;  Catlin's  North  American 
Indians,  edition  with 'colored  plates;  Tree  and 
Serpent  Worship,  by  James  Ferguson;  The  Tri- 
umpJial  Entry  of  Loziis  XIV,  after  his  marriage, 
1661;  Geological  survey  of  the  State  of  California, 
one  of  the  four  copies  with  plates  of  birds  colored 
by  hand;  Jackson's  Treatise  on  Wood  Engraving; 
large  paper  edition  of  Disraeli's  Curiosities  of 
Literature;  Notes  and  Queries,  in  fifty-six  volumes; 
Brunei's  Manual  oe  Libraire;  La  Rousse  s  Ency- 
clopedia, seventeen  volumes;  Encyclopedia  Brit- 
tanica;  and  Bayles  Dictionary,  ten  volumes,  1738, 
together  with  a  large  collection  of  books  of  refer- 
ence in  almost  every  department  of  literature  and 
art. 

The  books  in  this  collection,  while  devoid  of  any 
uniformity  in  binding,  are  all  well  bound,  and  show 


RALPH    C.    HARRISON.  115 

many  fine  specimens  of  the  art,  from  the  hands  of 
famous  early  binders  and  those  of  to-day.  Hayday, 
Riviere,  Pratt,  Matthews,  Pawson  &  Nicholson, 
Magnier,  Chambolle-Duru  and  Derome  have  all 
contributed  towards  the  elegance  and  durability  of 
the  books. 

Mr.  Harrison's  library  is  a  large  room,  of  irregu- 
lar shape,  on  the  first  floor  of  his  house,  tastefully 
furnished,  with  choice  paintings  upon  its  walls,  and 
many  bronzes,  little  elegancies,  and  works  of  art, 
bric-a-brac  meeting  the  eye  in  every  direction. 


ADDISON  E.  HEAD. 

AN  attractive  room,  artistically  furnished,  with 
broad  library  table  in  the  center,  and  a  number  of 
easy  chairs  enticing  with  a  promise  of  restful  com- 
fort. A  curious  hue  of  sage  green,  with  a  tinge  of 
blue,  toned  down  with  a  grayish  smoke  color,  per- 
vades carpet,  damask  window  drapery,  and  fur- 
niture, walls  and  ceiling.  Low  book-cases  of  black 
walnut,  with  hand  carving,  occupy  places  against 
the  walls,  and  a  mantel  of  that  wood  graces  the 
north  side  of  the  room. 

Between  the  two  western  windows  stands  an  ex- 
quisite piece  of  sculpture,  representing  the  little 
daughter  of  the  house  at  the  age  of  six,  a  pet  dog 
in  her  arms,  and  a  book  in  one  hand.  At  the  top 
of  the  page  is  the  word  "dog,"  to  which  she  is 
calling  the  attention  of  her  obstinate  pupil.  The 
piece  is  the  production  of  Ansiglioni  of  Rome,  and 
finely  executed;  the  graceful  posture  and  earnest 
countenance  of  the  child,  and  comical  expression 
of  the  dog,  being  rendered  with  charming  effect. 
A  large  mirror  between  the  two  windows,  extend- 
ing from  floor  to  ceiling,  reflects  back  the  gleaming 
child  figure,  and  the  hazy  green  color  pervading 
the  room.  A  bronze  and  ebony  clock  occupies 
the  center  of  the  mantel  piece,  bronzes  of  Pliny 
and  Archimedes  serving  as  companion  pieces.  A 
ladies'  writing  desk,  a  sofa  and  some  odd  chairs 
complete  the  furniture  of  the  room. 


ADDISON    E.    HEAD.  I  IJ 

Mr.  Head's  collection  of  books,  numbering  about 
two  thousand  volumes,  consists  almost  exclusively 
of  the  best  and  choicest  editions  of  standard  au- 
thors, with  a  number  of  rich  art  works.  Among 
the  latter  is  an  original  Boydell  Shakespeare,  The 
Dusseldorf  Gallery,  Engravings  of  Corregio,  The 
Lights  and  Shadows  of  New  York  Picture  Gal- 
leries, Kaulbacti s  Schiller  Gallery,  The  Galleries 
of  M^m^c/lt  Vienna  and  Berlin,  and  Liibke  and 
Caspar's  Monuments  of  Art,  together  with  a  num- 
ber of  works  illustrated  by  Dore. 

Among  choice  books  on  the  shelves  is  the 
Edinburgh  edition  of  Scott's  works,  in  eighty- 
seven  volumes,  a  fine  edition  of  Thackeray,  in 
twenty-two  volumes,  a  full  set  of  the  Oxford  clas- 
sics, a  London  translation  of  Voltaire,  published  in 
1 764,  in  thirty-six  small  volumes,  and  a  collection 
of  Lives  of  the  Old  Masters,  in  different  editions, 
published  at  different  times.  A  curiosity  of  the 
collection  is  an  old  Lutheran  family  bible  published 
at  Augsburg,  in  1530,  in  the  original  wooden 
covers  with  metallic  fastenings. 

The  French  language  is  well  represented  in  this 
collection  with  choice  editions  of  the  works  of  the 
best  known  French  authors. 


PROF.  GEO.  HEWSTON,  A.M.,   M.  D. 

THIS  library  contains  about  two  thousand  vol- 
umes of  works  in  every  department  of  literature 
and  science,  carefully  selected  for  reference,  em- 
bracing full  editions  of  choice  and  valuable  works, 
elegantly  illustrated,  many  of  them  in  the  highest 
style  of  art.  This  selection  and  collection  has 
been  the  work  of  over  thirty  years  of  one  thor- 
oughly conversant  with  literature  and  science  and 
their  bibliology.  It  includes  voyages,  travels,  his- 
tory,  poetry,  theology,  antiquity,  miscellaneous 
literature  and  rare  literary  pamphlets,  scientific 
works  of  standard  authors  on  ethnography,  eth- 
nology, geography,  mechanics,  mineralogy,  geol- 
ogy, paleontology,  natural  history  and  zoology, 
mammalia,  ornithology,  herpetology,  entomology, 
conchology,  botany  and  popular  science. 

Among  these  we  would  mention  Voyage  of  Cir- 
cumnavigation of  the  Globe,  by  the  Austrian  frigate 
Navara,  in  the  years  1857-59,  being  one  of  the 
best  descriptive  works  ever  published  in  English, 
and  held  in  high  esteem  by  all  navigators  and 
scientific  men.  Narrative  of  the  Surveying  Voy- 
ages of  His  Majesty  s  Ships  Adventure  and  Bea- 
gle, with  Charles  Darwin's  Journal -and  Remarks. 
Clarendon!  s  History  of  the  Rebellion  and  Civil 
Wars  in  England  in  1641  and  up  to  1660,  six 
vols.,  Oxford  edition,  full  bound,  calf  extra,  gilt 


PROF.  GEO.  HEWSTON,  A.M.,  M.  D.  119 

edge.  Pope  s  Poetical  Works,  Carruther's  edition, 
handsomely  illustrated,  and  published  in  London 
by  Ingram  Cooke  &  Co.  in  1853,  and  said  to  be 
one  of  the  finest  editions  of  this  celebrated  poet's 
works.  Prichard1  s  Researches  into  the  Physical 
History  of  Mankind,  five  vols.,  profusely  illustrated 
with  colored  portraits  of  the  various  races  of  men 
Wilson's  American  Ornithology,  being  a  natural 
history  of  birds  of  the  United  States,  with  life  of 
Wilson,  by  G.  Ord.  A  list  of  water-birds  and 
general  index,  9  vols.  Original  edition  with  one 
hundred  and  three  splendid  engravings,  exhibiting 
three  hundred  and  eighty-six  figures  of  different 
species  of  birds,  the  whole  accurately  and  most 
beautifully  colored  from  the  original  drawings  after 
nature.  The  natural  colors  and  feathers  of  the 
bird  more  accurately  represented  than  in  any  work 
before  or  since  his  day.  Together,  thirteen  vols., 
imperial  quarto. 

The  English  Physician,  by  Culpepper,  printed 
in  London,  i665.  This  is  one  of  the  few  works 
published  in  1666,  which  escaped  the  great  fire  of 
that  year.  Books  of  this  date  are  very  rare.  Icon- 
um  Anitomicarum,  three  volumes  quarto  text,  two 
volumes  folio  plates,  by  Claudius  Caldinie,  or  Cal- 
dini's  Anatomy.  The  plates  of  minute  structure  in 
this  work  are  fine  specimens  of  art.  This  work 
was  purchased  in  Vienna  at  the  sum  of  four  hundred 
dollars  and  brought  to  America  by  a  naval  officer, 
U.  S.  N.  It  is  exceedingly  rare.  Falconer  and 


I2O  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

Cautley  's  Fauna  Antiqua  Sivalensis,  or  the  Fossil 
Zoology  of  the  Sewalik  Hills,  in  the  north  of  India, 
Folio  maps  and  plates  representing,  in  many  cases, 
the  fossils  of  the  natural  size,  with  the  letter  press 
to  part  one  all  issued.  The  beautiful  execution  of 
the  plates  render  the  work  of  great  use  to  the  stud- 
ent or  naturalist.  Holbrook 's  Herpetology  of  North 
America,  being  a  description  of  the  reptiles  inhabit- 
ing the  United  States,  by  John  Holbrook,  five  vol- 
umes, quarto.  This  is  the  most  complete  work  of 
the  kind  on  the  reptiles  of  the  United  States.  It 
embraces  the  land  and  water  tortoise,  terrapins, 
snakes,  toads,  frogs,  lizards,  and  salamanders.  Or- 
iginal editions  are  very  rare  and  in  great  demand 
in  Europe,  where  they  command  a  large  price. 
This  is  one  of  the  few  copies  remaining  in  America. 

The  older  Sydenham  publications,  with  most  of 
the  valuable  foreign  publications  and  works  in 
these  different  departments,  among  which  we  would 
mention  Pantologia,  being  an  encyclopaedia  of  arts, 
sciences  and  words  in  English;  profusely  illustrated, 
with  colored  plates  of  animals,  mechanical  drawings 
and  elegant  engravings,  twelve  volumes,  a  rare  and 
valuable  work,  now  rarely  seen  except  in  large 
libraries. 

These  works  are  contained  in  handsome  walnut 
cases,  but  without  any  extra  parade  or  show,  being 
divided  between  his  offices  and  residence.  The 
greater  portion  of  this  collection  was  imported  from 
abroad  and  brought  with  him  from  Philadelphia,  in 
1861. 


A.  P.  HOTALING. 

PARTLY  scattered  through  the  rooms  of  his 
pleasant  San  Francisco  residence,  partly  in  his 
elegantly  furnished  down-town  office — itself  a  small 
gallery  of  art — Mr.  Hotaling  has  a  somewhat  widely 
distributed  collection  of  books.  The  number  it 
would  be  difficult  to  accurately  estimate,  but  is 
somewhere  between  one  and  two  thousand  volumes, 
chiefly  devoted  to  history,  art  and  belles-lettres. 
The  most  notable  feature  is  the  number  of  choice 
editions  and  full  bindings  in  morocco  and  tree  and 
polished  calf. 

Mr.  Hotaling  has  an  original  edition  of  Byron, 
six  volumes;  IVey  s  Rome;  an  early  Edinburgh 
edition  of  the  Waverly  novels,  in  twenty-five 
volumes;  Wood's  Natural  History  ;  Guizo?  s  His- 
tory of  France;  Michelet 's  Works,  and  Rous- 
selefs  India.  The  latter  is  known  as  the  "Prince 
of  Wales'  book,"  as  it  contains  a  dedication  to  that 
eminent  personage,  and  is  said  to  be  a  favorite 
book  with  him  for  presenting  to  his  friends. 

Notable  in  this  gentleman's  collection  is  a  small 
case  containing  books  which  formerly  belonged  to 
his  father-in-law,  the  late  James  Linen,  the  poet. 
These  latter  are  mostly  books  of  old  poetry,  and 
include  the  works  of  Shakespeare,  Cowper,  Gold- 
smith, Byron,  Hood  and  Burns,  with  some  Amer- 
ican poets.  Tales  and  Sketches  by  the  Ettrick 


122  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

Shepherd,  a  particular  favorite  of  Mr.  Linens,  a 
few  historical  works,  and  several  bound  volumes 
of  short-lived  Edinburgh  periodicals,  published 
many  years  ago,  now  partaking  of  the  character 
of  literary  curiosities,  find  a  place  upon  the  shelves. 


J.  F.  HOUGHTON. 

MR.  Houghton's  library  is  a  spacious  room  in 
his  beautiful  home  on  the  corner  of  Thirteenth  and 
Jackson  streets,  Oakland,  receiving  abundant  light 
from  two  windows  on  the  west  and  a  double 
window  on  the  south.  A  fourth  window,  which  is 
always  open,  leads  into  the  conservatory,  and 
through  it  the  fragrance  of  a  wealth  of  flowers 
and  the  subtle  essence  of  aromatic  plants  steal  into 
the  room. 

The  low  cases  containing  the  books  are  of  toa 
wood,  in  the  Queen  Anne  style,  and  were  made  to 
order,  the  design  corresponding  to  the  architecture 
of  the  house.  A  pleasing  variety  is  presented  in 
the  furniture  of  the  room,  which  is  partly  leather- 
cushioned,  partly  of  willow,  and  partly  with  em- 
broidered stripes.  On  the  mantel  is  a  highly 
ornamental  French  clock,  representing  Progress 
carrying  a  locomotive  on  her  left  arm,  the  up- 
lifted right  hand  holding  a  pendulum,  vibrating  in 
circles.  The  walls  are  decorated  with  engravings, 
oil  paintings  and  chromos.  Two  crayons,  one  of 
"Odalisque,  the  Egyptian  girl,"  the  other  represent- 
ing a  woodland  stream,  both  of  superior  merit,  are 
the  work  of  Mr.  Houghton's  son. 

The  books,  which  number  upwards  of  one  thou- 
sand volumes — a  fast  increasing  collection — consist 
chiefly  of  standard  English  authors,  with  a  number 


124  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

of  scientific  and  engineering  works,  the  selection 
indicating  a  cultivated  taste.  Among  the  choicest 
books  is  an  elegant  edition  of  Dante,  bound  in  full 
Russia,  and  an  English  work  containing  fine  steel 
engravings  of  every  work  of  art  in  the  London 
Gallery,  giving  in  the  text  the  size,  history  and 
value  of  every  picture. 


JOHN  R.  JARBOE. 

To  the  true  lover  of  books  it  is  a  pleasure  not 
often  experienced,  to  meet  with  such  a  collection 
of  books  as  that  with  which  Mr.  Jarboe  has  sur- 
rounded himself.  It  neither  consists  of  long  arrays 
of  sets  in  uniform  bindings,  nor  is  it  the  collection 
of  a  bibliomaniac,  bought  only  to  be  stored  away 
and  forgotten.  His  shelves  are  weighted  with  the 
productions  of  the  best  minds  of  every  age,  and 
contain  books  on  every  conceivable  subject,  the 
prevalence  of  choice  editions  being  a  notable 
feature. 

One  book-case  is  devoted  exclusively  to  rare 
and  curious  books.  Prominent  among  these  may 
be  named :  Quadragesimale  Aureum,  by  Leo- 
nardus  de  Utino  (editio  princeps),  a  specimen  from 
Francisco  Renner  de  Hailbrun,  Venice,  1471; 
Bernardi  casus  longi  super  quintos  libros  decre- 
talium,  1493;  LaHenriade,QY\gma\  edition,  London, 
1728;  Chertablon,  La  Maniere  de  se  bien  preparer 
a  la  Mort,  quarto,  Antwerp,  1 700;  Curme^s  L* Imi- 
tation de  Jesus  Christ,  two  volumes,  with  richly 
illuminated  borders,  after  the  style  of  old  manu- 
scripts. 

A  copy  of  A  Murmurer,  one  of  the  rarest 
books  known  to  book  collectors,  printed  in  Lon- 
don, 1607.  But  one  copy  has  ever  been  described. 
Collier,  in  his  Bibliographical  Account  of  Early 


126  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

English  Literature,  says  (vol.  II.,  page  350)  : 
''This  work  is  not  to  be  traced  in  any  catalogue.'' 
The  peculiarity  of  the  book  is  that  it  is  printed 
from  beginning  to  end  without  a  single  break  to 
indicate  chapter  or  paragraph. 

Phillip's  Mount  Sinai,  Robert  Southey's  copy, 
with  his  autograph. 

Ptickle  Club,  subscriber's  copy,  on  large  paper, 
with  proof  plates  inserted,  London,  1829. 

Doran's  Annals  of  the  English  Stage,  large 
paper. 

The  Character  of  a  Trimmer,  London,  small 
quarto,  1688;  Rufus  Choate's  copy,  with  autograph 
and  autographical  notes. 

Heywoode's  Gimaikeion,  or  nine  Bookes  of 
Various  History  concerninge  Women;  London, 
1624,  folio.  Thomas  Moore's  copy,  with  auto- 
graph. 

Martin's  Kings  of  England,  small  folio,  with 
full  set  of  prints. 

The  Rogue,  or  The  Life  of  Guzman  de  Alfa- 
rache,  London,  1634,  folio,  with  the  arms  of  Charles 
II.,  when  Prince  of  Wales,  on  the  cover. 

Moliere,  six  volumes,  Paris,  1863,  with  the 
plates  in  two  states — proofs  before  and  after  letter. 
Only  one  hundred  copies  were  printed  in  this  con- 
dition. 

Sully1  s  Memoirs,  three  volumes,  quarto,  Lon- 
don, Paris,  1745,  with  plates  of  Odieuvre. 

Life  of  Falstaff,  with  Cruikshank's  engravings, 
London,  1858. 


JOHN    R.    JARBOE.  127 

England's  Helicon,  London,  quarto,  reprint, 
1812  (only  fifty  copies  printed). 

Erasmus'  L  Eloge  de  La  Folie,  1/58,  largest 
paper,  with  the  plates  of  Eisen. 

Philiobiblion,  two  volumes,  New  York,  1862 
(printed  on  India  paper). 

Catalogue  de  la  Vente  Fortsas,  published  in 
1 840,  a  curious  catalogue  of  books  that  never  were 
printed.  This  singular  publication  advertised  a  list 
of  imaginary  books,  and  created  the  greatest 
sensation  among  bibliophiles,  who  sent  from  all 
over  Europe  to  make  purchases  only  to  discover 
that  a  cruel  hoax  had  been  perpetrated  upon  them, 
and  there  were  no  such  books  in  existence. 

Les  Amours  Pastorales  de  Daphnis  et  Chloe, 
London,  Paris,  1779.  with  proof  impressions  of  all 
the  plates. 

Solid  Silver.  By  W.  H.  L.  Barnes,  of  San 
Francisco,  presentation  copy,  with  autograph  and 
photograph. 

dementis  Romani  Episcopi,  de  rebus  gestis, 
printed  at  Paris,  in  1555,  by  Adrian  Turnebus. 

The  Life  and  Times  of  Bertrand  du  Guesclin, 
by  Jamison.  Published  at  Charleston,  in  1864. 
The  curiosity  of  this  book  is  that  it  was  '•'  Entered 
according  to  the  Act  of  Congress  of  the  Confed- 
erate States  of  America,  in  the  District  Court  of 
South  Carolina." 

The  second  rarest  book  in  the  collection  is  Vol- 
taires's  La  Pucelle  D*  Orleans,  Paris,  1865.  Of 
this  book  there  were  fifteen  copies  published.  In 


128  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

size  it  is  the  largest  paper,  printed   entirely  upon 
india  paper,  with  proof  portraits  and  vignettes. 

Pepy1  s  Diary,  extra  illustrated;  Evelyn  s  Diary, 
five  volumes,  uncut  edges,  extra  illustrated. 

Robinson  Crusoe,  in  three  volumes,  the  third 
edition  of  volume  I,  and  the  original  editions  of 
volumes  II  and  III,  published  in  1719  and  1720, 
with  rare  cuts  and  maps. 

History  of  China  (Gonzalez  de  Mendoca),  His- 
toria  de  las  Cosas  mas  notables,  Ritos  y  Costumbres 
del  Gran  Reyno  de  la  China,  Rome,  1585.  This 
is  reputed  to  be  the  first  European  book  in  which 
Chinese  characters  occur,  but  it  is  actually  the  sec- 
ond, as  some  Chinese  words  were  engraved  on  a 
map  of  Ortelius,  1584. 

The  Art  of  Rhetorike,  Thomas  Wilson,  London, 
1567,  small  quarto.  This  is  from  the  ''White 
Knight's  "  collection,  and  said  to  be  one  of  the 
books  that  Shakespeare  studied. 

Eikon  Basilikey  1649,  with  the  plates.  This  is 
in  the  original  black  stamp  binding,  and  in  mourn- 
ing, the  covers  and  edges  being  stained  black. 

Boccacio's  Decameron,  Madame  du  Pompadour's 
copy,  edition  of  1757,  in  five  volumes,  with  plates 
by  Gravelot.  Another  edition  of  the  same  is  in 
ten  volumes,  printed  at  London,  1779,  and  con- 
tains the  plates  of  Gravelot  and  Boucher. 

Farmer  General  edition  of  Les  Contes  de  la  Fon- 
taine, two  octavo  volumes,  in  the  original  binding 
of  old  French  morocco,  gilt  embellished. 

Drummond's  History  of  Scotland,  London,  1682, 


JOHN    R.    JARBOE.  I  29 

nicely    bound    by    Nutt,  of    Scotland,  in    polished 
calf,  with  emblematic  ornamentation. 

Anecdotes  Ecclesiastiques,  two  octavo  volumes, 
bound  by  Padeloup. 

La  traicte  des  deux  amans,  bound  in  polished 
dark  green  calf,  by  Bauzonnet. 

A  little  reprint  of  The  Rehearsal,  by  the  Duke 
of  Buckingham,  elegantly  bound  in  San  Francisco, 
and  noticeable  as  being  one  of  the  first  attempts  at 
inlaid  binding  done  in  the  city. 

Botieads  Works,  Paris,  three  tiny  volumes, 
bound  by  Derome. 

Lucretius,  printed  by  Gryphius  in  15/6. 

Organt,  by  St.  Just.,  Paris,  1 789. 

Jure  Divine^  original  edition,  London,  1706. 

The  original  edition  of  Hobbes'  Leviathan. 

Original  editions  of  all  of  Scott's  poems,  in  quarto. 
The  works  of  Mrs.  Mary  Robinson  (Perdita),  three 
octavo  volumes,  with  portrait,  London,  1806. 

Sabine,  ou  Matinee  D'une  Dame  Romaine  a  sa 
Toilette,  Paris,  1813,  by  Boettiger. 

Original  editions  of  The  Newcomes,  Pendennis, 
Vanity  Fair,  and  The  Virginians,  in  the  original 
parts,  in  paper  covers. 

Purchas,  his  Pilgrimes,  in  five  books,  London, 
1625. 

Original  editions  of  De  Foe's  History  of  the 
Devil,  Memoirs  of  a  Cavalier,  and  Voyages  of 
Captain  Geo.  Roberts. 

Illustrated  History  of  Fonthill  Abbey,  with  plates 
in  three  conditions. 


I3O  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

Horace,  largest  folio,  printed  at  Parma,  by 
Bodoni,  1791,  bound  in  crushed  levant  morocco  by 
David,  with  the  paper  and  text  in  their  original 
purity  intact.  This  is  said  to  be  the  finest  edition 
of  Horace  ever  published. 

The  library  also  contains  a  number  of  Aldine 
and  Elzevir  publications,  the  Pickering  editions  of 
Shakespeare,  Dante,  Petrarch  and  Terence,  and 
several  Mexican  imprints  from  the  library  of 
Maximilian. 

The  department  of  reference  is  very  full,  and 
contains  the  best  standard  encyclopaedias  and  dic- 
tionaries of  art,  science  and  the  languages. 

Besides  the  rarer  works  already  specified,  there 
are  in  the  collection  many  choice  books  and  edi- 
tions, some  of  them  of  practical  interest  and  value, 
others  desirable  as  being  either  out  of  print  and 
difficult  to  obtain,  or  possessing  the  greater  merit 
of  being  beautiful  editions  of  excellent  works.  To 
this  class  belong  a  collection  of  memoirs  concern- 
ing Napoleon,  nineteen  volumes,  London,  1823; 
Liittreir  s  Diary,  six  volumes;  a  full  set  of  Drama- 
tists of  the  Restoration  (large  paper) ;  Works  of 
Apkra  Behn,  six  volumes  (large  paper,  reprint); 
Collection  of  Old  Ballads  (reprint);  Shakespeare 
Society  Papers,  full  set;  Peter  Pindar's  Works;  La 
Fontaine,  complete  works,  from  the  print  of  Didot 
the  elder;  Modes  et  costumes  Historiques,  Paris, 
1862;  Memoirs  of  Mrs.  Coghlan  (large  paper), 
1864;  original  edition  of  Moore's  Life  of  Byron; 
Baskerville  edition  of  Shaftesbury  s  Characteris- 


JOHN    R.    JARBOE.  131 

ticks;  Walpole's  Royal  and  Noble  Authors,  five 
volumes,  with  fine  impressions  of  the  plates;  The 
Works  of  Jonathan  Richardson,  printed  at  the 
Strawberry  Hill  press  (Horace  Walpole's  private 
press),  in  1792;  Rabelais,  nine  volumes,  variorum 
edition,  Paris,  1823,  by  D'Alibon,  uncut  edges; 
Memoirs  de  Saint  Simon,  twenty-one  octavo  vol- 
umes; a  full  set  of  D idol's  Greek  Classics',  Harle- 
ian  Miscellany,  twelve  octavo  volumes,  London, 
1810;  Voltaire,  large  paper,  with  ^the  plates  of 
Moreau;  Rabelais,  three  volumes,  with  plates  of 
Picart,  Amsterdam,  1741;  Holbein  s  Court  of 
Henry  VIII. ;  Picard's  Manners  and  Customs;  a 
folio  volume  of  caricatures  on  the  subject  of  the 
South  Sea  bubble ;  six  large  folio  volumes  of  auto- 
graphs of  the  court  and  nobility  during  the  reign 
of  George  II.,  consisting  chiefly  of  documents 
relating  to  the  South  Sea  bubble;  History  of 
Westminster  election,  with  caricatures  of  the 
period,  1794;  Lady  Hamilton  s  Attitudes,  London, 
1794;  the  French  encyclopaedia,  formerly  the 
property  of  Louis  Buonaparte,  father  of  Louis 
Napoleon,  and  a  number  of  books  more  commonly 
seen,  as  Meyrick  s  Armor,  Ottley  s  Fac-similes, 
and  the  ordinary  art  works  of  Hogarth,  Gillray, 
etc. 

The  specialty  of  Mr.  Jarboe's  library,  however, 
is  his  collection  relating  to  the  period  of  the  French 
Revolution,  which,  it  is  very  moderate  to  say,  has 
no  parallel  in  this  country.  On  this  particular 


132  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

subject  he  has  about  five  hundred  bound  volumes, 
one  thousand  pamphlets,  and  upwards  of  two 
thousand  original  engravings.  The  latter  consist 
of  portraits  of  eminent  persons  of  the  day,  pict- 
ures of  buildings  at  that  period,  and  representa- 
tions of  various  historical  scenes  and  events.  All 
are  original  impressions  of  the  plates,  mostly  en- 
gravings of  the  period,  many  of  them  artist  proofs, 
and  have  been  collected  for  the  purpose  of  illus- 
trating the  history  of  the  French  Revolution  and 
the  life  of  Marie  Antoinette. 

Among  the  works  relating  to  this  subject  most 
valued  by  the  collector  are  Collection  Complete  des 
Tableaux  Historiqiies  de  la  Revolution  Franc^aise, 
three  folio  volumes,  Paris,  1804,  remarkable  for 
the  fidelity  of  its  engravings  of  scenes  in  Paris 
during  the  revolution;  Galeries  Historiques  de 
Versailes,  ten  volumes,  folio;  Galerie  dzt  Musee 
Napoleon,  ten  volumes;  a  history  of  the  diamond 
necklace  affair,  with  a  complete  collection  of  briefs 
and  arguments,  and  old  copper-plate  portraits  of 
the  actors  and  actresses  therein;  Reimpression  de 
L  Ancien  Moniteur,  thirty-two  imperial  octavo  vol- 
umes; Compte  Rendu  au  Roi,  by  Necker,  Paris, 
1781 — the  original  edition  of  the  book  said  by 
Carlyle  to  have  brought  on  the  French  Revolution; 
Coronation  of  Louis  XVI.,  original  edition;  The 
Royal  &  National  Almanac,  in  its  various  forms, 
1787-1795;  collection  of  memoirs  relative  to  the 
French  Revolution,  sixty-five  volumes;  Thier's 


JOHN    R.    JARBOE.  133 

French  Revolution,  profusely  extra  illustrated; 
Robespierre  and  the  Guillotine,  or  Pictztres  of  the 
Time,  extra  illustrated;  and  a  large  number  of  atro- 
cious libels  against  Marie  Antoinette,  which  Mr. 
Jarboe  has  collected  for  their  historical  value,  but 
keeps  stored  away  on  a  top  shelf.  He  is  also  receiv- 
ing a  book  now  being  published  by  the  Didots  of 
Paris,  called  Paris  through  the  Ages  of  its  History, 
to  be  complete  in  twenty  or  thirty  parts;  and  has  just 
acquired  E.  et  J.  de  Goncourt's  Histoire  de  Marie 
Antoinette^  recently  published  in  Paris  by  Char- 
pentier,  the  first  copy  which  has  reached  Califor- 
nia, a  beautiful  work,  every  page  ornamented  with 
different  illustrated  borders,  the  finest  specimens 
of  wood  engravings.  In  addition  to  the  text,  ten 
plates  are  inserted,  copies  of  engravings  of  the 
period.  The  collection  also  includes  autographs 
of  Napoleon  and  Louis  XVI.,  and  others,  and  a 
scrap-book  containing  fifteen  hundred  specimens 
of  assignat  used  during  that  period. 

With  the  strong  prejudice  in  favor  of  foreign 
bindings  existing  among  our  book  collectors,  it  is 
gratifying  to  state  that  the  owner  of  these  books, 
a  connoisseur  in  such  matters,  points  with  pride  to 
several  specimens  of  San  Francisco  bindings,  and 
maintains  that  whenever  sufficient  patronage  shall 
be  accorded  them,  we  have  binders  who  will  turn 
out  as  fine  binding  as  can  be  done  anywhere  in 
the  world. 
The  somewhat  contracted  apartment  which  serves 


134  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

Mr.  Jarboe  as  library  and  study  is  lighted  by  two 
windows  opening  into  a  conservatory.  Carpet  of 
shaded  brown  leaves  on  a  neutral  ground.  A  few 
easy  chairs,  a  desk  and  swivel-chair.  Black  walnut 
book-cases  lining  the  walls  and  teeming  with  their 
accumulated  treasures;  shelves  groaning  beneath 
their  burdens,  many  holding  double  rows  of  books. 
Drawers  filled  with  engravings,  documents  and 
pamphlets  relating  to  the  French  Revolution.  The 
books  have  fairly  overrun  the  room,  and  escaped 
into  the  hall,  where  a  capacious  case  stands,  filled 
from  lower  to  upper  shelf.  Mr.  Jarbbe  modestly 
estimates  the  number  of  volumes  in  his  collection 
at  about  three  thousand,  but  if  submitted  to  the 
test  of  an  actual  count,  they  would  doubtless  num- 
ber fully  a  thousand  more.  I  can  only  add,  that 
as  an  expression  of  intelligent  selection  and  critical 
taste,  it  is  rivaled  by  no  library  in  the  State. 


WILLIAM  INGRAHAM  KIP. 

THE  library  of  William  Ingraham  Kip,  Episcopal 
Bishop  of  California,  is  a  spacious  apartment  on 
the  south  side  of  his  charming  San  Francisco  re- 
sidence. The  room  is  lighted  by  a  bay-window 
overlooking  the  well-kept  grounds,  with  their 
wealth  of  verdure  and  flowers  all  the  year  round. 
The  finish,  including  book-cases  and  mantel,  is  in 
black  walnut,  and  the  walls  are  covered  with  a 
paper  bearing  gilt  figures  on  a  crimson  ground.  A 
library  table,  with  convenient  drop-light  from  the 
chandelier  above,  occupies  the  center  of  the  room, 
and  easy  chairs  and  sofas  are  scattered  about.  The 
walls  above  and  between  the  book-cases  are  lined 
with  old  family  portraits,  which,  aside  from  their 
value  as  family  mementoes,  possess  an  additional 
interest,  owing  to  the  famous  hands  by  which  they 
have  been  executed. 

Above  the  mantel  hangs  a  nearly  full  length 
portrait  of  Duncan  Ingraham  of  Greenvale, 
Dutchess  Co.,  New  York,  grandfather  of  the 
bishop.  He  is  represented  in  dress  of  crimson 
velvet,  with  silver-hilted  rapier,  the  court-dress  in 
which  he  was  presented  to  Louis  XVI,  and  has  a 
singularly  winning  young  face.  The  portrait  was 
painted  at  Paris  in  1779.  John  Adams,  in  his 
Journal  in  Paris  in  that  year,  when  American 
minister  to  France,  frequently  mentions  Mr.  In- 


136  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

graham's  name.  Two  other  portraits  are  by  Copley, 
and  were  painted  in  17*10.  Copley  afterwards  re- 
turned to  England,  where  his  son  became  Lord 
Chancellor  of  England,  with  the  title  of  Lord  Lynd- 
hurst.  A  family  portrait  by  Copley  is  so  greatly 
esteemed  in  some  parts  of  New  England,  that  its 
possession  is  looked  upon  almost  as  a  patent  of 
npbility.  Another  notable  picture  is  a  three-quar- 
ters portrait  of  an  ancestor  of  Bishop  Kip,  exe- 
cuted in  1 740,  by  Smibert,  famous  as  the  instructor 
of  Copley. 

Stephen  Greenleaf,  another  ancestor,  appears  in 
a  crimson  robe,  showing  his  office  as  member  of 
the  king's  council  in  the  colony.  A  Latin  inscrip- 
tion o'n  this  states  that  it  was  painted  in  1722. 

The  remaining  portraits  represent  the  bishop's 
great-great-grandfather  in  official  dress  as  judge, 
painted  by  Grimwood  in  1747;  Leonard  Kip  of 
New  York,  the  bishop's  brother,  by  Chester 
Hardinge,  in  1831;  and  Isaac  Lawrence  of  New 
York,  (Mrs.  Kip's  father),  by  Inman,  in  1833. 

On  a  pedestal  in  the  bay.-window  is  a  marble 
bust  of  Bishop  Kip,  a  remarkably,  fine  likeness, 
executed  by  Reinhart,  at  Rome,  in  1865. 

The  collection  of  books  numbers  between  five 
and  six  thousand  volumes,  chiefly  composed  of  the 
usual  standard  English  works,  with  a  liberal  sup- 
ply of  French  and  German  literature,  in  the  various 
fields  of  history,  biography,  travel,  romance,  poetry 
and  theology,  no  one  subject  preponderating. 


WILLIAM    ING  RAH  AM    KIP.  137 

The  most  remarkable  feature  of  the  library,  how- 
ever, is  an  autographical  collection,  consisting  of 
presentation  copies  of  upwards  of  two  hundred  and 
fifty  books.  Among  the  authors  who  have  con- 
tributed to  this  treasured  collection  are  Lady  Ver- 
ney;  the  Archbishop  of  Armagh;  Christian  Words- 
worth, the  Canon  of  Westminster;  Miss  Sevvell, 
the  author  of  "Amy  Herbert";  Bishop  Mead,  of 
Virginia:  the  Archbishop-  of  Canterbury;  Bishop 
Hopkins,  of  New  York;  Hillhouse,  the  poet;  Bish- 
op Burgess;  Leonard  Kip,  of  New  York;  Mrs.  Sig- 
ourney;  William  Palmer,  of  Magdalen  College, 
Oxford ;  Clement  Moore ;  Alfred  B.  Street,  the 
poet;  Robert  C.  Winthrop,  of  Massachusetts;  and 
the  Marquis  Di  Nigee,  of  Genoa,  who  once  had  the 
reputation  of  being  the  first  poet  of  Italy. 

The  collection  also  includes  a  translation  of  the 
Prayer  Book  into  Mohawk,  by  Eleazer  Williams, 
a  character  who  became  famous  owing  to  a  rumor 
which  once  confounded  him  with  Louis  XVII,  and 
a  copy  of  Noah  Webster's  Work  on  Pestilence, 
presented  to  the  Bishop's  grandfather  in  the  year 
1800,  and  bearing  the  eminent  author's  autograph. 
Bishop  Kip  is  himself  an  author  of  considerable 
repute;  one  of  his  books,  Christmas  Holidays  in 
Rome,  having  reached  its  tenth  edition  in  London. 

Among  rare  books  worthy  of  note  in  this  library 
is  a  beautiful  black-letter  copy  of  Plato,  in  the  orig- 
inal binding,  bearing  the  date  of  1518,  a  copy  of 
Plotinus,  in  ancient  wooden  covers,  1492;  and  a 


i  > 


138  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

quaint  little  book,  printed  in   152-5,  known  as  A 
Dominican  Monk?  s  Reply  to  Luther. 

In  the  small  outer  library  or  study  which  contains 
the  autographical  collection  and  a  majority  of  the 
theological  works,  hang  engravings  of  the  present 
Archbishop  of  Canterbury;  the  late  Bishop  Selwyn, 
of  Lichfield,  and  the  present  Bishop  (Wordsworth) 
of  Lincoln,  presented  by  them  and  each  bearing  the 
autograph  of  the  donor. 


RALPH  W.  KIRKHAM. 

THIS  collection,  consisting  of  upwards  of  two 
thousand  volumes,  has  been  the  slow  accumulation 
of  a  number  of  years  in  the  hands  of  a  book  lover 
and  reader.  It  embraces  the  best  standard  works 
in  various  departments,  with  an  unusually  fine  col- 
lection on  military  subjects.  Among  the  books 
are  a  number  of  considerable  age  and  rarity. 
None  of  these  have  been  re-bound  or  renovated  in 
any  way,  their  owner  preferring  to  preserve  them 
in  the  state  he  has  found  them;  and  the  old  vellum 
and  calf  bindings  are  in  many  cases  musty  and 
worm-eaten,  presenting  an  aspect  in  keeping  with 
their  age. 

One  quaint  illuminated  missal,  without  date,  but 
evidently  the  production  of  an  epoch  many  cen- 
turies past,  is  in  an  excellent  state  of  preservation, 
the  text  clear  and  distinct,  and  the  parchment  of 
finest  texture  and  spotless  cream  color.  This 
was  probably  the  work  of  some  Dominican  monk, 
and  contains  a  number  of  illuminations  so  delicate 
in  their  coloring  and  finish  that  the  glossy  surface  of 
the  vellum  is  preserved.  One  of  these  illustra- 
tions represents  Jesus  Christ  toiling  up  Calvary, 
a  Dominican  friar  assisting  him  to  carry  the  cross  ! 

Among  other  noteworthy  books  may  be  men- 
tioned: 

The  Historic  of  Guiccardin,  translated  by  Gef- 


14O  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

fray  Fenton,  and  published  in  London  in  1579,  a 
rare  edition  of  an  interesting  work,  of  which  War- 
ton  says:  "The  predominating  love  of  narrative, 
more  especially  when  the  exploits  of  a  favorite 
nation  were  the  subject,  rendered  this  book  very 
popular;  and  it  came  recommended  to  the  public 
by  a  title-page  which  promised  almost  the  enter- 
tainment of  a  romance." 

s£sopics,  a  translation  of  yEsop's  Fables  into 
English  verse,  published  in  London  in  1548. 

The  second  French  edition  of  Boccaccio's  De- 
cameron, a  small  book,  copiously  illustrated.  This 
translation  is  by  Ant.  Le  Ma9on,  and  was  pub- 
lished at  Paris  in  1545.  Brunetsays:  "The  first 
edition  of  this  translation  is  greatly  esteemed,  and 
brought  one  hundred  and  eighty  francs  at  the  last 
Berlin  sale." 

El  Libri  Rojo,  por  V.  Riva  Palagio  y  Manuel 
Payno,  is  a  Mexican  history,  comprehending  the 
period  from  1 520  to  1867,  a  large  volume  profusely 
illustrated,  dealing  almost  exclusively  with  the  hor- 
rors of  Mexican  history.  Only  a  small  edition  of 
this  book  was  published,  and  it  was  under  excep- 
tional circumstances  that  this  copy  was  procured. 

A  Relation  of  a  Journie,  published  in  London 
in  1637;  The  Book  of  Martyrs,  1586;  The  Gen- 
eral Martyr  olopie,  1660;  La  Doctrine  des  Mceurs, 
published  at  Paris  by  Sivestre  in  1546,  Ciceronis 
Sententia,  1569,  and  a  folio  edition  of  John  Ogilby 


RALPH    W.    KIRKHAM.  14! 

in  two  volumes,  are  books  of  some  rarity  and  in  an 
excellent  state  of  preservation. 

The  Military  History  of  the  late  Prince  Eugene 
of  Savoy,  and  of  the  late  John,  Duke  of  Marl- 
borough,  illustrated  with  copper  plates  by  Claude 
de  Bosc,  in  two  folio  volumes,  published  in  Lon- 
don in  1737;  A  Discourse  against  Nicholas  Ma- 
chiavel,  the  Florentin,  translated  by  Simon  Pater- 
icke,  published  early  in  1600,  Sir  Matthew  Male's 
Pleas  of  the  Crown,  London,  1594,  and  The  Lawes 
and  Actes  of  Parliament  made  by  King  James 
and  his  Successors,  Kings  of  Scotland \  printed  by 
Robert  Waldegrave  in  1597,  are  works  of  histor- 
ical interest  and  considerable  rarity. 

General  Kirkham's  library  is,  in  some  respects, 
the  most  perfect  in  its  interior  arrangement  and 
finish  of  any  in  the  State.  The  room,  though  some- 
what inadequate  for  the  number  of  books,  is  a  cosy 
family  reading-room,  and  is  enlarged  by  the  addi- 
tion of  a  deep  bay-window,  affording  ample  light- 
The  finish  of  the  whole  room  is  in  solid  black  wal- 
nut; and  the  mantel,  book-cases  and  bay-window 
arch,  all  of  chaste  architectural  design,  are  heavily 
and  richly  carved.  The  book-cases  are  finished  upon 
the  walls,  and  occupy  every  available  space.  A 
large  library  table,  with  full  set  of  leather-covered 
furniture,  complete  the  appointments  of  the  room, 
and  on  either  side  of  the  curious  clock  finished  in 
the  mantel  is  a  pair  of  bronzes.  Among  other 


142  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

ornaments  in  the  room  are  two  valuable  old  Roman 
bronzes,  one  of  Cupid  and  Psyche,  and  the  other  a 
Satyr  and  Bacchante.  A  quaint  Japanese,  seal 
carved  with  rare  delicacy  represents  the  Opium- 
Eater's  Dream. 


DELOS   LAKE. 

SOME  collections  are  the  expression  of  the  indi- 
vidual tastes  of  a  family.  All  have  brought  their 
contributions  from  time  to  time,  until  the  shelves  are 
filled  with  a  host  of  dear  friends,  with  any  one  of 
whom  they  would  be  loth  to  part. 

Of  such  a  nature  is  the  collection  belonging  to 
Delos  Lake,  a  well-known  San  Francisco  lawyer. 
The  books  number  about  two  thousand  volumes, 
and  the  subjects  embraced  are  many  and  diverse, 
the  departments  of  history,  biography,  romance  and 
poetry  receiving  equal  attention.  Little  thought  has 
been  paid  to  editions  or  binding,  yet  the  books  are 
generally  in  excellent  order,  and  include  some  fine 
editions.  Among  the  books  is  a  handsome  edition 
of  Froissari 's  Chronicles,  and  an  early  edition  of 
the  History  of  Sir  Charles  Grandison. 

The  gem  of  the  collection  is  a  manuscript  copy 
of  The  Lotus  Eaters,  with  numerous  original  water- 
color  illustrations  of  superior  merit,  executed  by 
Henry  Hobart  Bates,  formerly  Professor  in  Hobart 
College,  Geneva,  and  now  one  of  the  Judges  of 
Appeals  in  the  Patent  office  at  Washington.  1  he 
text  is  similar  to  the  elegant  specimens  seen  in  old 
missals,  in  red,  blue  and  black  inks,  with  illuminated 
initials  heightened  with  gold,  exquisite  both  in  de- 
sign and  execution,  the  whole  on  rice  paper  of  finest 
texture. 


144  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

Across  the  center  of  the  title-page  is  "The  Lotus 
Eaters,"  in  old  English  text,  shaded  in  red  and  blue. 
Above  hovers  a  female  form,  with  floating  hair, 
closed  eyes  and  peaceful  face,  and  outspread  wings. 
Below  the  title  is  a  male  figure,  the  eyes  closed, 
flaming  hair  erect,  only  the  grim  face  and  bat-like 
wings  being  visible.  The  first  page  represents  the 
Grecian  mariners  arriving  in  sight  of  land,  their 
eager  faces  looking  with  longing  upon  the  far-off 
misty  hills.  A  little  further  on  peculiar  interpreta- 
tion is  given  to  the  lines: 

"Branches  they  bore  of  that  enchanted  stem 
Laden  with  flower  and  fruit,  whereof  they  gave 
To  each,  but  whoso  did  receive  of  them 
And  taste,  to  him  the  gushing  of  the  wave 
Far,  far  away  did  seem  to  mourn  and  rave 
On  alien  shores;  and  if  his  fellow  spake 
His  voice  was  thin,  as  voices  from  the  grave; 
And  deep  asleep  he  seemed,  yet  all  awake, 
And  music  in  his  ears 
His  beating  heart  did  make." 

At  the  top  of  the  page  is  an  owl  with  wings  out- 
stretched, on  the  inner  margin  of  the  page  three 
figures  in  Oriental  costume,  bearing  lotus  branches, 
and  below  a  curious  design,  representing  the  sleep- 
ing face  of  a  dreamer,  and  his  vision.  Fronting 
him,  across  a  sea,  appears  a  row  of  phantom  cowled 
heads,  the  larger  and  nearer  the  senile  faces,  with 
dropped  jaws,  of  old  men,  but  changing  as  they 
recede  into  grinning  fleshless  skeletons. 

One  of  the  most  beautiful  illustrations  accompa- 


DELOS    LAKE.  145 

nies  that  line  of  the  " Choric  Song :"  "In  the  stream 
the  long-leaved  flowers  weep."  A  limpid  stream 
with  little  naked  children  playing;  one  little  fellow 
is  floating  in  a  huge  pink-lined  conch-shell  under 
"the  long-leaved  flowers,"  and  two  others  are 
sporting  in  the  water,  the  half-veiled  appearance 
of  the  warmly-tinted  flesh  of  childhood,  under  the 
crystal  water,  being  given  with  charming  effect. 
"Nor  ever  fold  our  wings,  nor  cease  from  wander- 
ings," is  realized  by  a  female  figure  floating  on  the 
clouds,  with  beautiful  sleeping  face  and  restful  fold- 
ed wings. 

"To  muse  and  brood  and  live  again  in  memory 
With  those  old  faces  or  our  infancy." 

Above  appears  a  noble  male  head,  with  drooping 
eyelids,  and  far  away  musing  look  upon  the  face. 

The  last  illustration  in  this  unique  work  repre- 
sents the  lotus  flower,  with  pure  white  petals  nest- 
ling against  glossy  green  leaves,  and  one  bud  just 
opening. 

Mr.  Lake's  library  is  an  attractive  little  room 
of  indescribable  shape,  with  one  window  to  the 
west  and  two  double  windows  to  •  the  south,  a 
sky-light  overhead  and  homelike  air  pervading 
everywhere.  It  is  cosily  furnished,  with  softly-cush- 
ioned chairs  and  sofas,  a  rich,  deep  shaded  red  pre- 
dominating in  carpet,  upholstery  and  papered  wall. 
An  upright  piano  stands  on  one  side  of  the  room, 
and  a  library  table  occupies  the  center.  Crystal 
chandeliers  and  side  brackets  dispense  our  brilliant 


146  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

San  Francisco  gas,  but  a  student's  lamp  on  the 
table  eclipses  them  with  its  steady,  softened  light. 
The  books  are  in  black- walnut  cases  of  tasteful 
design,  nicely  finished,  and  busts  of  Milton  and 
Shakespeare  rest  above  them. 


MILTON    S.    LATHAM. 

THE  library  of  Milton  S.  Latham  at  his  San  Fran- 
cisco residence,  is  a  large,  lofty  apartment  on  the 
north  side  of  the  house,  with  a  bay  window  over- 
looking the  tastefully  laid  out  grounds,  while  the 
chief  light  is  diffused  through  a  skylight  in  the  cen- 
ter of  the  ceiling.  The  ceiling  itself  is  elaborately 
frescoed  in  neutral  tints.  The  floor  is  covered  with 
a  heavy  Persian  carpet  in  rich  oriental  colors, 
made  to  order  in  Smyrna,  and  said  to  be  the  largest 
ever  made  in  a  Persian  loom.  The  room  is  fur- 
nished with  classic  severity,  but  with  perfect  taste. 
The  book-cases,  completely  lining  the  walls,  are  of 
black  walnut,  about  nine  feet  high,  of  simple  design. 
An  elaborately  carved  black  walnut  mantel  has  a 
large  clock  on  the  face,  with  busts  of  Milton  and 
Shakespeare  on  each  side,  and  Science  above  rep- 
resented by  a  child  crowned  with  wreaths  of  immor- 
telles. Below  are  two  busts  of  Lucius  Verus  and 
Plotinus  in  black  marble  and  bronze,  and  two  bisque 
busts  of  Webster  and  Washington.  In  the  center  of 
the  room,  beneath  the  sky-light,  stands  a  beautifully 
carved  library  table  from  Berlin,  corners  supported 
by  Caryatides. 

Two  Faust  armchairs,  heavily  carved,  lounges 
and  easy  Turkish  chairs,  a  couple  of  quaint- 
looking  Quaker  rocking  chairs,  gilt  rosewood 
table,  and  an  exquisitely  embroidered  Japanese 


148  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

screen  of  silk,  with  richly  carved  ebony  frame, 
are  distributed  about  the  room.  Two  gigantic 
figures  in  full  coats  of  polished  armor,  one  rest- 
ing on  his  weapon,  the  other  lifting  his  sword  in 
belligerent  attitude,  stand  on  either  side  of  the  bay 
window  and  guard  the  approach  to  a  pedestal  on 
which  stands  the  most  superb  work  of  art  in  the 
room,  Hiram  Power's  life-size  statue  of  California, 
the  only  one  ever  brought  to  this  country,  and 
which  cost  the  possessor  $10,000.  It  is  a  nude  fe- 
male figure  in  spotless  marble,  of  exquisite  form, 
lightly  poised,  one  hand  grasping  a  divining  rod, 
the  noble  face  bent  slightly  forward  with  a  far-seeing 
look;  pride,  courage,  resolution  in  her  countenance, 
as  if  reading  her  glorious  future.  On  each  side 
of  the  entrance  into  the  conservatory  adjoining  on 
the  west  are  two  marble  busts  of  Plato  and  Seneca 
on  column  pedestals  of  Cippilino  marble,  the  only 
copies  ever  made  after  the  bronze  originals  in  the 
Museum  Pompeii  at  Naples.  The  heads  are  strange 
contrasts,  that  of  the  old  Roman  rugged,  harsh, 
aggressive,  the  hair  roughly  tumbled,  the  lips  slight- 
ly parted  as  if  panting  to  speak,  and  the  neck  bent 
forward;  that  of  Plato  grand  and  calm  as  a  god's, 
powerful  in  its  silent  majesty.  These  works  of  art 
were  obtained  through  the  intercession  of  Count 
Cipriani  with  Victor  Immanuel,  at  the  time  Mr. 
Latham  was  in  the  Senate,  that  sovereign  ordering 
the  head  of  the  Academy  of  Arts  in  Italy  to  detail 
a  sculptor  to  make  these  copies. 


'  MILTON    S.    LATHAM.  149 

On  the  south  side  of  the  room  is  a  bust  of  young 
Augustus  Csesar,  a  copy  from  the  Vatican,  resting 
on  a  column  pedestal  of  Vero  Antico  marble  com- 
posite. Two  marble  busts  of  Cicero  and  Demos- 
thenes, on  column  pedestals  of  Rosso  Antico 
marble,  near  the  door,  complete  the  works  of  art 
in  the  room,  noticeable  not  so  much  for  their  pro- 
fusion as  their  beauty  and  value.  Mr.  Latham's 
books  number  about  five  thousand  volumes  of 
standard  literature  of  every  variety,  with  a  large 
collection  of  senatorial,  legislative  and  political 
documents,  and  many  rare  and  choice  works,  col- 
lected at  various  periods  of  his  life  with  great  care, 
research,  and  expense.  While  many  of  the  books 
are  full  or  half  bound  in  calf  or  morocco,  there  are 
few  rich  bindings,  and  the  general  appearance  of 
the  collection  would  indicate  that  the  books  are 
intended  for  use  rather  than  show.  Among  the 
rarer  and  more  noticeable  works  are  a  History  of 
Japan,  in  two  folio  volumes,  with  copper  plates, 
published  in  1727;  Pictorial  History  of  England, 
from  B.  C.  55,  to  A.  D.  1820,  in  eight  volumes; 
Bell's  British  Theater,  forty-six  volumes,,  pub- 
lished in  1791;  The  Chinese  Classics,  five  octavo 
volumes,  in  a  peculiar  marbled  mohair  binding; 
The  Variorum  Edition  of  Shakspeare,  edited  by 
Reed,  Johnson  and  Malone;  Naval  History  of 
England,  from  io56  to  1734,  published  in  1735; 
Reprint  of  Rushwood*  s  Collections,  eight  volumes, 
published  in  1721;  Ruffles  History  of  Java, 


«5O  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

very  handsomely  bound;  the  original  edition  of 
Vancouver  s  Voyages;  the  Abbotsford  edition  of 
the  Waverley  Novels,  elegantly  bound  in  full 
brown  morocco  and  profusely  illustrated;  and  Ogil- 
by's  Virgil,  a  folio,  published  in  1668.  The  most 
notable  and  valuable  works  are  a  very  complete 
set  of  British  Parliamentary  Debates  from  1803 
to  1868,  two  hundred  and  fifty-nine  volumes,  bound 
in  half  calf;  and  the  Parliamentary  History  of 
England,  from  1072  to  1803,  thirty-six  octavo 
volumes,  full  calf.  The  library  also  comprises 
many  French  and  German  works,  including  most 
of  the  standard  authors  in  the  respective  languages, 
and  numerous  fine  art  works. 


ALBERT  J.  LE  BRETON. 

MR.  Le  Breton's  library  is  composed  of  about 
two  thousand  volumes,,  one  fourth  consisting  of 
rare  works,  the  remainder  of  standard  miscellany, 
French,  German  and  English,  selected  with  taste 
and  judgment,  in  the  best  editions  procurable. 

Among  the  rarest  and  most  valuable  of  the 
books  is  Histoire  dim  voyage  fait  en  Amerique 
(terre  du  Bresil),  par  Jean  de  Lery,  natif  de  la 
Margelle,  La  Rochelle,  1578;  the  original  edition, 
an  octavo  volume,  with  plates,  exceedingly  rare; 
Ceremonies  et  coutumes  religieuses  des  Peuples  de 
I'  Amerique,  first  edition,  Amsterdam,  1723,  one 
folio  volume,  with  thirty-four  plates  by  Picard; 
Kingsborough's  Mexican  Antiquities,  nine  vol- 
umes, folio,  the  latter  a  valuable  and  expensive 
work  rarely  seen  in  private  libraries. 

Mr.  Le  Breton  has  a  number  of  rare  books  on 
California  and  her  history.  Before  noting  these  it 
should  be  remarked  that  many  books  of  a  com- 
paratively recent  date,  relating  to  our  State,  have 
become  exceedingly  rare,  and  are  scarcely  to  be 
purchased  at  any  price.  Whether  this  is  due  to 
some  destructive  fate  pursuing  the  books,  to  small 
editions,  or  unexpected  appreciation  of  works  of 
this  class,  I  do  not  know.  The  latter  belief  is  the 
most  comfortable,  and  to  that  we  shall  incline. 
Mr.  Le  Breton's  collection  includes  Exploration 


152  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

du  territoire  dc  /'  Oregon  et  dcs  Calif ornies,  Du- 
flos  de  Mofras,  two  octavo  volumes  with  plates 
and  maps,  published  at  Paris  in  1844;  Voyages  en 
Calif ornie  et  dans  I'  Oregon,  Saint  Amant,  Paris, 
1854,  one  octavo  volume  with  plates  and  map 
(out  of  print) ;  Histoire  Naturelle  et  Civile  de  la 
Calif  ornie  (Narratif  des  tentatives  faites  pour  s'y 
etablir)  d'apres  A.  M.  Burriel  (Jesuite  espagnol), 
three  duodecimo  volumes  with  maps,  Paris,  1767; 
L  Oregon  et  les  Cotes  de  P  ocean  Pacijiique  du 
Nord,  Fedix,  Paris,  1846,  one  octavo  volume  with 
large  maps;  What  I  saw  in  California,  by  Ed. 
Bryant  (first  Alcalde  of  San  Francisco),  London, 
1849;  Colonial  History  of  California,  by  John 
W.  Dwindle,  and  Annals  of  San  Francisco,  by 
Frank  Soule. 

Among  notable  French  works  we  will  mention 
La  Revue  des  Deux  Mondes,  one  hundred  and  fifty- 
six  volumes,  bound  in  morocco,  full  set,  since  the 
beginning  in  1833;  CEuvres  de  Balzac  (edition  de- 
finitive), twenty-four  volumes,  royal  octavo ;  CEuvres 
Completes  d Alfred  de  Musset,  best  illustrated  edi- 
tion, eleven  octavo  volumes;  Le  Chevalier  de 
Faublas,  par  Houvet  de  Couvray,  four  octavo  vol- 
umes illustrated  with  fine  plates,  published  at  Paris 
in  1821  (editio  princeps);  Memoir es  de  Jacques 
Casanova  de  Seingalt,  ecrits  par  lui-meme,  original 
edition,  in  six  volumes;  Histoires  des  Livres  popu- 
laires,  depuis  le  Xve  siecle,  par  Charles  Nisard, 
Paris,  1854;  Lettres  de  Cachets  &  States  Prisons, 


ALBERT   J.    LE    BRETON.  153 


by  the  Comte  de  Mirabeau,  London, 
de  M,  le  Vlcomte  de  Chateaubriand,  Grande  edi- 
tion avec  illustrations  sur  cuivre,  four  quarto  vol- 
umes, Paris,  1834;  Memoir  es  et  Ouvres  du  Comte 
de  Segur,  six  octavo  volumes,  Paris,  1825;  Me- 
moir es  ds  J.  H.  Bernardin  de  Saint-  Pierre,  two 
large  quarto  volumes,  Paris,  1833;  CEuvres  de  Vol- 
taire, with  scientific,  historical  and  literary  notes, 
forty-four  octavo  volumes,  Paris,  1838;  L  Algerie 
Ancienne  et  Moderne,  by  Leon  Galibert,  vignettes 
by  Raffet,  Paris,  1841;  and  an  interesting  folio 
volume,  large  paper,  containing  Autograpkes  des 
Soiwerains,  hommes  politiques,  savants,  orateurs, 
poetes,  et  artistes  de  I'  Europe,  Paris,  1864.  In  ad- 
dition to  these,  the  collection  contains  the  com- 
plete works  of  Lamartine,  Thiers,  V.  Hugo, 
Mignet,  Legouve,  Cormenin,  La  Vallee,  Alexandre 
Dumas,  Octave  Feuillet,  and  George  Sand. 

In  the  German  language  there  are  fine  editions 
of  the  works  of  Goethe  (grosse  illustrirte  Aus- 
gabe,  twenty  volumes),  Schiller  (complete  works, 
twelve  volumes),  Kcerner,  Lessing,  Uhland,  Heine, 
Weber,  and  others. 

In  the  English  language,  the  complete  works  of 
Thackeray,  Dickens,  Carlyle,  De  Ouincey,  Bulwer, 
Irving.  Marryatt,  Cooper,  Addison,  Brougham, 
Tennyson,  Spencer,  Ruskin,  Lever,  Disraeli,  Ben 
Jonson,  etc.,  and  The  British  Poets  (with  preface 
by  Samuel  Johnson),  seventy-seven  duodecimo 
volumes,  in  full  antique  morocco,  London,  1779. 


154  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

The  collection  also  includes  a  number  of  fine  il- 
lustrated works,  such  as  History  of  Art  and  His- 
tory of  Sculptiire,  by  Liibke;  Burnet  on  Painting, 
large  paper  copy  with  colored  plates;  Idyls  of  the 
King,  illustrated  by  Dore,  plates  on  India  paper; 
Art  Treasures  of  England,  plates  on  India  paper; 
Museum  of  Painting  aud  Sculpture^  containing 
engravings  of  paintings,  statues  and  bas-reliefs  in 
the  public  and  private  galleries  of  Europe  drawn 
and  etched  by  Reveil,  with  notes,  descriptive;  crit- 
ical and  historical  by  Duchesne,  seventeen  duodeci- 
mo volumes,  London,  1830;  and  Herculaneum  and 
Pompeii,  nine  octavo  volumes,  published  by  Firmin 
Didot,  1869. 

Mr.  Le  Breton's  books  are  fastidiously  bound, 
the  art  works  in  full  morocco,  the  greater  por- 
tion of  the  library  books  proper  in  levant  or  Turkey 
morocco,  polished,  speckled,  paneled  or  tree  calf, 
gilt  edg'es,  with  a  few  in  half-bindings. 

The  department  of  musical  works  is  large  and 
embraces  among  the  finer  editions:  Les  Bonnes 
Traditions  du  Pianiste,  8  vols.,  Svo.,  Flaxland, 
Paris;  Les  Soirees  Musicales  de  Rossini,  Brandus, 
Paris;  the  sonatas,  variations  and  concertos  of 
Schubert,  Von  Weber,  Beethoven,  Mozart  and 
Haydn;  the  overtures  of  Bellini,  Donizetti,  Ros- 
sini, Cherubini,  Mehul,  Paer  and  Gluck;  scores  of 
the  principal  operas,  and  a  large  selection,  com- 
prising about  two  hundred  modern  compositions. 


JOHN   LE  CONTE. 

THE  President  of  the  University  of  California, 
John  Le  Conte,  has  a  small  collection  of  books, 
mostly  scientific  in  character,  with  some  standard 
medical  works.  The  rarest  book  in  this  collection 
is  a  copy  of  Euclid,  published  by  Erhardus  Ratholdt 
in  1482.  This  was  printed  before  title  pages  were 
in  vogue,  but  the  publisher's  little  note  at  the  end 
of  the  book  is  somewhat  curious,  reading  as  follows: 

Opus  Elementorum  Euclidis  Megarensis  in  geometriae  arte. 
In  id  quoque  Campani  perspicacissimi  Comentationes  finivit. 
Erhardus  Ratholdt  Augustensis  impressor  solentissimus.  Vene  • 
tiis  impressit;  Anno  Salutis  MCCCCLXXXII.  Octavis  Calen. 
Jun.  Lector  Vale. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  "Euclid  of  Megara"  is  con- 
founded with  "Euclid  of  Alexandria"  the  mathe- 
matician, a  very  common  mistake  at  that  time.  The 
book  is  a  large  folio,  with  a  margin  so  broad  that 
the  figures  are  placed  upon  it  without  disturbing  the 
text. 


JOSEPH  LE  CONTE. 

PROFESSOR  Le  Conte,  the  author  of  an  admirable 
work  on  the  Elements  of  Geology,  recently  pub- 
lished by  Appleton  &  Co.,  and  Professor  of 
Geology  and  Natural  History  in  the  University  of 
California,  has  a  small  collection  of  about  one  thou- 
sand books,  largely  consisting  of  works  relating  to 
his  profession.  These  include  all  the  standard 
works  on  geology  and  natural  history  attainable, 
including  a  very  full  collection  of  United  States 
geographical  and  geological  surveys,  to  which  he 
is  receiving  constant  additions.  He  has  Cuvier's 
Animal  Kingdom,  in  eighteen  large  volumes; 
Agassiz's  Contributions  to  the  Natural' History  of 
the  United  States;  and  Nereis  Boreala  Americana, 
a  work  on  the  sea-weeds  of  American  waters,  by 
Harvey,  embellished  with  beautiful  plates,  with 
several  other  works  now  out  of  print,  and  difficult 
to  obtain. 

The  miscellaneous  department  of  the  library 
embraces  a  number  of  choice  illustrated  works, 
including  engravings  by  Hogarth  and  Boydell; 
The  Turner  Gallery;  Canova  s  Works,  and  the 
whole  of  Reitsch's  Outlines,  illustrating  German 
poetry  and  Shakespeare,  with  the  studies  generally 
known  as  "  Reitsch's  Fancies." 


J.  E.  McELRATH. 

THIS  collection  of  books,  small  in  extent  but 
rapidly  increasing,  has  but  a  few  hundred  volumes 
of  fiction  and  general  miscellany,  being  chiefly  de- 
voted to  history.  In  addition  to  the  complete  works 
of  such  writers  as  Macaulay,  Gibbon,  Hume,  Grote, 
Fronde,  Thiers  and  others,  it  contains  some  rare 
books  and  editions,  and  a  marked  feature  is  one 
hundred  and  forty  or  more  volumes  relating-  to  our 
late  civil  war. 

Among  the  rarest  and  most  valued  works  may 
be  mentioned:  Garcilasso  de  le  Vega,  Royal  Com- 
mentaries of  Peru,  in  two  parts,  written  originally 
in  Spanish  by  the  Inca  Garcilasso  de  la  Vega,  and 
rendered  into  English  by  Sir  Paul  Rycaut,  Kt.,  with 
portrait,  folio,  London,  1688;  La  Chine  et  les 
Chinois,  with  designs  by  August  Borget,  litho- 
graphed in  two  tints  by  Eugene  Ciscere,  Paris, 
1842;  Philip  Sidney's  Arcadia,  modernized  by 
Mrs.  Stanley,  folio,  London,  1725;  Sir  Thomas 
More's  Utopia,  or  the  Happy  Republic,  translated 
by  R.  Robinson,  London,  1869;  Bibliotheca 
Americana  Vetustissima,  a  description  of  works 
relating  to  America,  published  between  1492  and 
1557,  Paris,  1858;  Notes  sur  la  Nouvelle  France, 
1545-1700;  Caleb  C.  Colton's  Lacon,  or  "Many 
Things  in  a  Few  Words  Addressed  to  those  who 
Think,"  London,  1823;  Walter  Hart's  Life  of 


158  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

Gustavus  Adolphus  the  Great,  two  octavo  vol- 
umes, with  portrait,  London,  1765;  and  The  Ad- 
ministration on  the  Eve  of  the  Rebellion,  James 
Buchanan  (President  of  the  United  States),  Lon- 
don, 1866. 


MOLERA  AND  CEBRIAN. 

ONE  of  the  most  interesting  private  libraries  in 
San  Francisco  is  the  property  of  E.  J.  Molera  and 
John  C.  Cebrian,  two  young  Spanish  gentlemen. 
Associated  together  in  their  boyhood,  schoolmates 
together;  partners  in  business  in  after  life,  their 
friendship  has  become  so  established  and  their  in- 
terests are  so  identified,  that  they  have  accumulated 
a  common  library,  every  book  of  which  bears  the 
stamp  "Molera  &  Cebrian." 

This  collection  numbers  more  than  two  thousand 
volumes,  and  contains  so  many  and  valuable  works 
in  the  Spanish  section,  that  we  shall  give  a  some- 
what detailed  account  of  its  contents,  trusting  that 
the  scholar  and  student  will  find  it  of  interest. 

One  of  the  most  important  works  is  Biblioteca  de 
Autores  Espanoles  des  de  la  formation  dellenguage 
hast  a  nuestros  dias :  publicado  por  Rivadeneyra; 
i.  e.,  Rivadeneyra's  Library  of  Spanish  Writers, 
since  the  rise  of  the  Spanish  language,  to  the  pres- 
ent day,  Madrid,  1846-1878;  seventy  volumes, 
quarto  (still  in  course  of  publication).  This  is  the 
best  collection  of  Spanish  writers  to  be  found,  and 
one  of  the  best  of  its  kind  ever  published.  The 
student  may  follow  therein  the  true  evolution  of 
Spanish  language  and  thought  since  the  beginning 
of  the  thirteenth  century; -as  it  not  only  contains 
the  classical  or  standard  authors,  but  also  any 


l6o  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

writer  who  has  had  any  influence  in  Spanish 
literature,  either  for  the  better  or  for  the  worse. 
This  collection  contains  the  complete  Spanish 
works  of  Cervantes,  Quevedo,  Calderon,  Lope, 
Leon  and  their  compeers,  and  even  translations  of 
some  of  their  Latin  works.  Second  and  third  rate 
authors  are  represented  by  some  of  their  works 
only.  The  character  of  the  publications  thus  far 
are,  poetical  works  of  all  kinds;  historical  and  phi- 
losophical works;  some  ascetical  and  religious 
works  of  the  sixteenth  century;  old  Spanish  nov- 
els, and  critical  and  political  writings.  It  contains 
many  works  never  published  before,  and  others 
that  had  been  out  of  print  for  centuries.  The  best 
.critics  and  literateurs  of  modern  Spain  have  de- 
voted their  talents  to  make  the  work,  thorough, 
and  the  several  collators  of  these  volumes  have 
searched  and  studied  old  mss.,  compared  the  best 
editions,  intelligently  discussed  important  points, 
and  have  added  to  their  opinions  and  explanations 
those  of  the  best  German,  English  and  French 
literary  critics. 

The  collection  also  includes: 

Coleccion  de  libros  espanoles  raros  y  c^lr^osos, 
Madrid,  1871—78,  eleven  volumes,  i8mo  (collec- 
tion of  rare  and  curious  Spanish  books).  This  is 
also  an  important  collection  of  old  books  or  mss., 
some  of  which  were  considered  lost,  and  are  not 
even  mentioned  in  the  best  bibliographical  works. 
In  all  of  them  are  reproduced  in  fac-simile  the  title- 
page  and  engravings  of  the  first  editions. 


MOLERA    AND    CEBRIAN.  l6l 

J.  Amador  de  los  Rios,  Historia  Crilica  de  la 
literature,  Espanola,  Madrid,  1861-65,  seven  vol- 
umes, quarto  (publication  not  yet  completed).  A 
critical  history  of  Spanish  literature  since  the  first 
century  B.  C.  It  includes  therefore  the  Latin 
period  of  Spanish  literature,  and  is  the  best  his-, 
tory  of  Spanish  literature  ever  published.  It  con- 
tains many  documents  and  fragments  never  before 
printed,  numerous  fac-similes  of  old  mss.,  and  crit- 
icisms by  foreign  writers.  The  last  volume  pub- 
lished carries  the  history  to  the  end  of  the  fifteenth 
century. 

N.  Antonio,  Bibliotheca  Hispania  Vetus,  Bi- 
bliotheca  Hispania  Nova, -Madrid,  J.  Ibarra,  1783- 
88,  four  volumes,  folio  (the  Library  of  Old  Spain, 
and  the  Library  of  New  Spain).  This  Latin 
work,  published  about  1684,  was  the  first  accurate 
bibliography  relating  to  Spain,  and  embraces  from 
the  first  century  A.  D.  to  the  year  1684,  giving 
notices  of  the  writers  and  their  several  works. 
Considering  the  age  when  it  was  published,  it  was 
exceedingly  accurate  and  complete,  and  is  consid- 
ered one  of  the  best  authorities.  This  edition  is 
more  valuable  from  having  issued  from  the  press 
of  the  prince  of  Spanish  printers,  J.  Ibarra.  The 
edition  contains  fourteen  vignettes  and  eleven  or- 
namented initials  engraved  by  aqua  fortis  in  copper 
plates. 

B.  J.  Gallardo,  Ensayo  de  itna  Biblidteca  Espan- 
ola de  libros  raros  y  curiosos,  Madrid,  1863-1866, 


I  62  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

two  volumes  quarto,  not  yet  completed,  (Essay  of 
a  Spanish  library  of  rare  and  curious  books).  The 
undisputed  merit  of  this  work  is  well  known  to  the 
student  of  Spanish  literature,  as  it  contains  numer- 
ous invaluable  documents  not  to  be  easily  found 
elsewhere.  It  is  not  only  a  dictionary  of  the  par- 
ticular branch  of  bibliography  mentioned  in  the  title, 
but  it  also  contains  numerous  extracts  and  copies  of 
old  books  and  mss.  taken  from  many  old  libraries, 
public  and  private,  Spanish  and  foreign. 

D.  Hidalgo,  Diccionario  de  Bibliografia  Es- 
panola,  Madrid,  five  volumes,  large  octavo,  the  latest 
work  published  on  that  subject. 

A.  de  Puibusque,  Histoire  comparee  des  litter  a- 
ture  Espagnole  et  Frant^aise,  Paris,  1843,  two  vol- 
umes octavo;  considered  one  of  the  best  standard 
works  upon  that  subject. 

Besides  the  above  works  there  are  some  minor 
works  relating  to  the  same  subjects,  by  A.  de  Cap- 
many,  Fernandez  de  Navarrete,  Breton,  Ochoa,  Al- 
cala  Galiano,  Zarate,  Moratin,  Mila,  Garces,  etc. 

P.  Calderon  de  la  Barca.  Autos  Sacramentales, 
Alegbricos  e  historiales,  Madrid,  1717,  six  volumes 
octavo,  with  wood  engravings,  bound  in  parchment 
of  the  time  it  was  published.  (Calderon's  religious 
or  sacramental  plays).  This  is  the  first  edition  of 
this  work,  published  by  one  of  Calderon's  friends. 
Calderon  is  considered  as  the  Shakespeare  of  Spain, 
and  his  other  dramas  and  plays  form  four  volumes 
of  the  Rivadeneyra's  Biblioteca  above  noted. 


MOLERA    AND    CEBRIAN.  163 

M.  Lafuente,  Historia  general  de  Espana,  Mad- 
rid, 1 86 1,  fifteen  volumes  octavo. 

J.  A.  Llorente,  Historia  critica  de  la  Inquisition 
de  Espana,  Paris,  1825,  ten  volumes  32010.  A 
standard  and  invaluable  history  of  the  doings  of  the 
Inquisition  in  Spain,  written  by  a  late  Secretary  of 
said  tribunal. 

The  modern  literature  of  Spain  is  represented  by 
the  complete  works  of  Castelar,  A.  Saavedra  (Duque 
de  Rivas),  Gallego,  Hartzenbusch,  and  Diaz,  and 
scattering  works  by  twenty-five  more  of  the  most 
celebrated  modern  Spanish  authors. 

Among  other  works  of  note  in  the  same  language, 
it  contains  the  following: 

B.  Sotos  Orchando,  Gramatica  de  la  lengua  iini- 
versal,  Madrid,  1863.  Also  Diccionario  de  la  len- 
gua universal,  Madrid,  1862.  These  are  outlines 
of  a  system  of  a  philosophical  universal  language, 
containing  grammar,  dictionary  and  translations  to 
and  from  the  proposed  language. 

B.  Alderete.  Origen  y  principio  de  la  lengua 
Castellana,  Madrid,  1674,  folio.  One  of  the  oldest 
dictionaries  of  the  Spanish  language. 

Munos.  Diccionario  bibliografico  historico  de  los 
Antiguos  Reinos,  Provincias,  Ciudades,  Villas, 
Iglesias  y  Santuarios  de  Espana,  Madrid,  1858, 
quarto.  This  is  a  historic-bibliographic  dictionary 
of  the  old  kingdoms,  provinces,  cities,  towns, 
churches  and  sanctuaries  of  Spain,  and  gives  a  re- 
cord not  only  of  all  printed  works  upon  the  subject 


164  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

but  also  of  old  mss.  in  private  and  public  libraries. 

M.  Ferreiro.  Alias  Geografico  de  Espana,  Mad- 
rid, 1864,  containing  fifty-two  maps  of  Spain  and 
her  possessions. 

A.  de  Laborde.  Itin'eraire  descriptif  de  /' Es- 
pagne,  Paris,  1825,  six  volumes,  atlas  folio.  A  de- 
scription of  Spain  in  1825,  in  its  various  aspects, 
geographical,  political,  literary,  artistic,  industrial, 
military,  and  archaeological. 

A.  de  la  Puente.  Viage  de  Espana,  Madrid, 
1772,  printed  by  J.  Ibarra.  This  is  a  correct  and 
esteemed  description  of  Spanish. monuments  visited 
in  a  tour  through  certain  portions  of  Spain. 

Antonii  Nebrisensis  Dictionarium,  Madrid, 
1 761,  folio.  A  revised  edition  of  one  of  the  oldest 
Latin-Spanish  Dictionaries,  written  about  1530. 

Cobarrubias.  Tesoro  de  la  Lengua  Castellana, 
Madrid,  1670. 

Among  rare  works  contained  in  this  collection  is 
the  first  Spanish  translation  of  Dante's  Inferno, 
with  commentaries,  the  verses  in  the  same  metre  as 
the  original.  This  was  printed  at  Burgos,  by  Frad- 
rique,  a  German  from  Basle,  and  was  finished  on 
Monday,  the  second  of  April,  1515.  This  book  is 
notable  for  several  reasons;  first,  for  being  printed 
by  one  of  Gutenberg's  workmen;  second,  for  being 
the  first  book  ever  printed  at  Burgos ;  and  third,  for 
being  the  best  Spanish  translation  of  the  Inferno 
ever  made.  It  also  contains  an  original  poem  by 
the  translator,  Fernandez  de  Villegas,  and  a  trans- 
lation of  Juvenal. 


MOLERA   AND    CEBRIAN.  165 

Also  the  complete  works  of  St.  Isidore,  Bishop 
of  Seville,  who  lived  in  the  seventh  century.  This 
was  the  first  work  of  the  kind  ever  written  in 
Europe,  and  was  an  encyclopedia  of  all  knowledge 
and  science  up  to  that  period.  It  is  to-day  the 
only  source  of  information  regarding  those  times 
to  be  found  in  Europe.  It  is  said  that  no  Latin 
scholar  can  ever  be  perfect  without  having  read 
this  book,  as  the  writer  used  many  Latin  words 
(scientific  terms,  etc.),  to  be  found  in  no  other 
work.  This  edition  was  published  at  Paris  in 
1580. 

Among  works  of  general  reference  in  this 
library,  the  following  are  worthy  of  enumeration 
as  a  valuable  and  intelligent  selection:  Nouvelle 
Biographic  Generate,  publiee  par  Firmin  Didot 
freres,  sous  la  direction  de  M.  le  Dr.  F.  Hofer; 
forty-six  volumes  octavo,  Paris,  1866;  (a  new  dic- 
tionary of  general  biography  from  the  most  ancient 
times  to  the  present  day).  This  is  probably  the 
most  complete  work  of  the  kind.  It  gives  with 
each  name  nearly  all  bibliographical  data;  -and  also 
all  important  works  ever  written  regarding  the 
personage  in  question.  The  best  talent  of  France 
and  Germany  has  contributed  to  the  success  of 
this  standard  work. 

F.  Brockhaus.  Conversations- Lexikon,  Leipzig, 
1868.  Fifteen  volumes,  octavo. 

Encyclopedia  Britannica,  last  English  edition. 

C.  Cantee.     Historia  Universal,  Paris,  1873,  ten 


I  66  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

volumes,  quarto,  steel  engravings.  This  is  an  en- 
larged and  revised  edition  of  a  Spanish  translation 
of  the  well  known  Cantee's  General  History  of  the 
World. 

Dictionnaire  portatif  des  con  tiles,  Paris,  1773. 
A  dictionary  of  all  the  Catholic  Church  councils 
since  the  first  one  held  by  the  Apostles. 

F.  Fetis.    Biographic  Universelle  des  Musiciens 
et  Bibliographic  g'enerale  de  la  Musique,    Paris. 
1873,  eight  volumes,  octavo. 

E.  M.  Oettinger.  Bibliographic  Bwgraphique 
Universelle*,  Paris,  1866.  Two  volumes,  quarto. 
A  work  highly  appreciated  in  Europe,  considered 
very  accurate,  complete  and  useful. 

J.  Collin  de  Plancy.  Dictionnaire  Infernal; 
Paris,  1863,  one  quarto  volume.  A  dictionary  of 
evil  spirits,  magic,  witchcraft,  infernal  spells,  and 
all  kinds  of  superstitious  wonders,  miracles,  and 
supernatural  beliefs. 

G.  Vasari.     Lives  of  the  most  eminent  painters, 
sculptors,  and  architects.     Six   volumes,  London, 

1855- 

Dictionnaire  de  Geographic  ancienne  et  mod- 
erne  a  I  usage  du  libraire,  etc.,  Paris,  1868,  large 
octavo.  This  is  an  important  dictionary  of  geog- 
raphy, relating  to  the  history  of  printing  in  every 
country  and  city,  together  with  the  Latin  and 
vulgar  names  of  every  locality,  and  is  an  indispen- 
sable adjunct  to  any  dictionary  of  bibliography. 

The   collection    of  art    works    embraces:  J.  G. 


MOLERA    AND    CEBRIAX.  167 

Armengaud's  Piiblic  Galleries  of  Europe;  L.  Rey- 
naud's  Trait'e  c£  Architecture;  a  collection  of  splen- 
did line  engravings;  a  large  quarto  volume  con- 
taining over  fifty  engravings  after  Goya's  paint- 
ings; historical  illustrations  by  Paul  Delaroche; 
W.  Scott's  Pictures  by  Italian  masters;  Canova's 
works;  Picturesque  Europe,  by  B.  Taylor;  Ernst 
&  Korn,  Architectural  Sketch-book^  seven  folio 
volumes  published  at  Berlin,  1859-1876,  contain- 
ing splendid  lithographs  and  chromos  of  architec- 
ture; a  collection  of  one  hundred  and  eighty  por- 
traits of  men  of  all  countries;  a  collection  of  the 
thirty-three  engravings  of  the  celebrated  quarto 
edition  of  Don  Quixote,  published  in  Madrid  in 
1780,  by  the  Spanish  Royal  Academy;  and  a  col- 
lection of  eighty-three  outline  engravings  by  Hol- 
bein, illustrating  Erasmus'  Eulogy  of  Folly. 

In  addition  to  those  already  detailed,  this  library 
contains  a  small  number  of  philosophical  and  re- 
ligious works  and  works  of  modern  science  and 
controversy;  "a  number  of  French,  English  and 
German  works;  and  over  two  hundred  works  of 
standard  French,  German,  Spanish  and  English 
works  in  the  departments  of  architecture  and  civil 
engineering. 

It  may  be  interesting  to  say,  in  concluding  my 
remarks  upon  this  library,  that  Messrs.  Molera  & 
Cebrian  have  in  their  possession  in  San  Francisco 
two  of  the  most  remarkable  works  of  art  in  the 
United  States.  One  is  a  portrait  of  Titian, 


I  68  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

painted  by  himself,  the  only  Titian  in  America. 
The  other  is  a  picture  of  St.  Peter,  by  Goya,  the 
famous  Spanish  painter,  who,  living  at  a  later  day 
than  the  so-called  "great  masters,"  yet  ranks 
among  them  in  the  estimation  of  connoisseurs. 

These  pictures  were  once  the  property  of  Gal- 
lego,  director  of  the  National  School  of  Art  in 
Madrid,  for  many  years,  who  had  a  fine  private 
collection  of  paintings,  and  was  a  famous  connois- 
seur. Shortly  after  his  death,  in  1850,  his  collec- 
tion was  offered  for  sale,  at  prices  fixed  by  his 
successor  in  the  National  Academy,  the  Duke  of 
Rivas,  and  these  pictures  were  purchased  at  that 
time  by  these  gentlemen,  who  hold  certificates 
from  Senor  Gallego's  heir,  attesting  their  genuine- 
ness. 

The  portrait  of  Titian  is  on  a  black  ground,  and  is 
a  little  dimmed  by  age,  the  outlines  of  his  beard  and 
skull-cap  being  almost  lost.  The  face  and  features 
are  very  clear,  but  there  is  a  sunken  look  about  the 
eyes,  hollows  and  furrows  upon  his  face,  as  if  old 
age  had  begun  its  ravages  upon  the  once  hand- 
some countenance,  that  I  have  never  seen  referred 
to  in  descriptions  of  other  portraits  of  him,  nor 
detected  in  engravings  of  those  portraits.  Other- 
wise it  very  strongly  resembles  other  likenesses. 
Titian  lived  to  an  extreme  old  age,  and  it  is  possi- 
ble that  this  portrait  is  of  later  date  than  others. 

The  picture  of  St.  Peter  is  supposed  to  repre- 
sent him  after  he  has  denied  his  master  thrice. 


MOLERA    AND    CEBRIAN.  169 

The  head  is  half  bowed,  the  lips  slightly  parted, 
and  a  look  of  contrition  overspreads  the  whole 
face.  In  a  good  light  a  tear  can  be  seen  coursing 
down  one  cheek.  The  whole  picture  is  expressive 
of  the  most  poignant  remorse,  and  produces  a  re- 
markable impression  upon  the  beholder. 


WILLIAM  NORRIS. 

ONE  of  the  most  valuable  private  collections  of 
books  in  San  Francisco  is  found  at  the  tasteful 
home  of  William  Norris.  The  library  is  a  spa- 
cious room,  24x30  feet,  with  a  large  bay-window 
fronting  the  south,  and  two  windows  looking  to 
the  east;  velvet  carpet  with  shaded  brown  tropical 
leaves  on  a  dark  ground,  and  the  furniture  partly 
of  ordinary  library  type,  upholstered  with  moroc- 
co, partly  of  cloth  of  a  Persian  pattern.  The 
mantel  is  of  carved  black  walnut,  of  novel  and 
tasteful  design,  the  usual  mirror  being  dispensed 
with,  to  make  room  for  antique  vases  and  little 
pieces  of  bijouterie,  the  whole  crowned  with  a 
marble  bust  of  Apollo.  Beside  the  mantel  stands 
an  elegant  little  marqueterie  cabinet  with  glass 
doors,  filled  with  delicate  ivory  carvings  and  pieces 
of  Sevres  porcelain.  Among  the  former  is  one 
very  elaborate  carving  of  the  Japanese  philosopher 
Kobo,  supposed  to  have  once  belonged  to  one  of 
the  Japanese  daimios,  as  it  bears  his  coat  of  arms 
on  the  bottom. 

A  long  library  table  of  heavily  carved  and  inlaid 
black  walnut  occupies  the  center  of  the  room,  and 
fancy  tables  and  book  stands  are  ranged  con- 
veniently about.  The  low  book-cases,  four  in  num- 
ber, are  of  inlaid  black  walnut,  and  finished  upon 
the  walls.  The  two  on  the  east  side  of  the  room 


WILLIAM    NORRIS.  I  J  I 

are  designed  for  holding  large  art  works,  and  are 
recessed  into  the  walls  to  save  undue  projection 
into  the  room. 

The  imperfect  architectural  effect  usually  im- 
parted to  a  room  by  dwarf  cases  is  here  counter- 
acted by  a  tasteful  arrangement  of  paintings, 
bronzes  and  antiquities  above.  Over  the  two  long 
cases  on  the  western  wall  hang  large  paintings  by 
Herzog,  one  a  moonlight  scene  in  the  harbor  of 
Bremen,  where  the  clustered  shipping,  with  red 
lights  glowing  in  the  rigging,  the  almost  inky 
blackness  of  the  water,  with  the  path  of  moon- 
light over  its  surface,  is  given  with  weird  effect. 
The  other  represents  the  harbor  of  Ostend  in  a 
storm,  the  sky  overspread  with  sullen  clouds  and 
great  waves  lashing  themselves  to  a  foam  against 
the  rocks. 

Over  the  other  cases  hang  paintings  by  Kensett 
and  Gifford,  and  on  an  easel  is  a  charming  land- 
scape by  B.  C.  Koekkoek.  Among  other  treas- 
ures and  works  of  art  scattered  lavishly  about  is  a 
large  French  bronze  of  America,  representing  an 
Indian  girl  seated  in  a  canoe,  the  poise  of  the  head 
and  posture  of  the  form  exceedingly  graceful,  and 
executed  with  great  faithfulness  to  the  minor  de- 
tails of  the  work.  Bronzes  of  Mercury  and  Co- 
rinne,  Japanese  vases,  a  Russo-antico  urn,  an 
exquisite  vase  of  Egyptian  alabaster  with  gilt 
bronze  trimmings  and  base,  are  distributed  on  top 
of  the  low  cases. 


I  72  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

Mr.  Norris's  collection  of  books,  consisting  of 
more  than  twenty-five  hundred  volumes,  is  notable 
for  the  excellent  taste  and  intelligence  displayed  in 
the  selection,  for  its  choice  editions  and  elegant 
bindings. 

Among  the  choicest  works  of  art  is  a  proof  edi- 
tiort  of  the  engravings  known  as  Selected  Pictures, 
from  the  art  galleries  and  private  collections  of 
Great  Britain,  in  four  elephant  folio  volumes;  a 
proof  edition  of  Core's  Idyls  of  The  King,  a 
quaint  work  in  imitation  of  the  work  of  the  old 
monks,  with  illuminated  borders  and  illustrations, 
all  hand  colored;  The  Illuminated  Psalter,  a  work 
of  which  only  one  hundred  copies  were  ever  issued, 
many  of  which  are  in  the  possession  of  the  royal 
families  of  Europe;  and  the  original  edition  of  Le 
Croix's  Moyen  Age  et  la  Renaissance,  in  nine  folio 
volumes,  a  very  expensive  work  at  the  time  of  its 
publication,  and  now  possessing  additional  value 
on  account  of  its  rarity.  The  collection  also  com- 
prises The  Royal  Gallery  of  Art.  four  folio  vol- 
umes; a  proof  edition  of  Knight's  Gallery  of  Por- 
traits ;  Les  Saints  Evangiles,  from  Bossuet's 
translations,  in  two  volumes;  Les  Chefs-d  CEuvre 
de  la  Peinture  Italienne,  by  Paul  Mantz;  superior 
chromo-lithographs,  published  by  Didot  Freres  of 
Paris,  and  bound  in  dark  brown  levant,  inlaid  with 
different  colored  leathers;  The  Public  Galleries 
of  Europe,  Armengaud,  eight  volumes ;  The  Royal 
Halls  of  England,  four  folio  volumes  in  dark 


WILLIAM    NORRIS.  173 

green  levant  embellished  with  gold;  Baronial  and 
Ecclesiastical  Antiquities  of  Scotland,  in  blue  and 
gold  levant;  Wey's  Rome,  a  fine  edition  of  Dore's 
illustrations  of  The  Fables -of  La  Fontaine;  and 
Aine's  Herculaneum  and  Pompeii,  in  eight  royal 
octavo  volumes.  Among  other  interesting  and 
valuable  works  are  two  volumes  of  fac-similes  of 
writings  of  all  nations  and  periods,  and  Silvestre  s 
Universal  Paleographie,  the  latter  believed  to  be 
the  only  copy  on  the  Pacific  coast. 

The  branches  of  history,  biography  and  phi- 
losophy are  well  represented,  and  while  mainly 
composed  of  standard  works,  contain  some  books 
and  editions  it  would  be  difficult  to  duplicate. 

Mr.  Norris  has  the  large  paper  edition  of  Ruskin, 
published  in  1857,  consisting  of  nine  volumes. 
After  this  publication  Ruskin  changed  his  views 
materially,  and  being  a  man  of  large  wealth,  tried 
to  suppress  the  edition,  making  it  already  scarce 
and  valuable.  The  library  also  includes  an  edition 
of  Dickens  in  twenty-six  volumes,  India  paper, 
containing  all  the  original  illustrations  by  Cruik- 
shank  and  Darley. 

The  department  of  belles-lettres  also  contains 
complete  editions  of  all  the  standard  English  and 
American  novelists  and  poets,  with  the  publica- 
tions of  the  Shakespeare  Society  of  1843  (edited 
by  Halliwell),  together  with  standard  French  au- 
thors in  the  original,  in  fine  editions. 

Mr.  Norris'  books  are  generally  full  bound  in 


1  74  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

tree  or  polished  calf  or  morocco,  by  Riviere  of 
London,  and  some  of  the  best  French  binders. 
While  he  considers  the  contents  of  his  books  of 
infinitely  greater  importance  than  their  dress,  he 
thinks  that  a  superior  binding  enhances  the  enjoy- 
ment to  be  derived  from  a  book  as  well  as  in- 
creases its  utility.  His  library  shows  many  elegant 
specimens,  and  is  the  collection  of  a  dilettante. 


A.  A.  O'NEILL. 

THE   library  of  Dr.  A.   A.   O'Neill,   the    well- 
known  school  director,  is  in  part  at  his  residence 
on  Lombard  street,   and  in  part  at  his   office  on 
Washington  street.     It  comprises  about  four  thou- 
sand  volumes,  and  in    addition   to    the   ordinary 
works  in    standard  literature    includes    many  rare 
illustrated  and  curious  antiquarian  works,  among 
which  maybe  mentioned  the  magnificent  set  of  the 
Boydell  Shakespeare  illustrations  with  the  text  in 
nine  volumes,  imperial   folio,  and  published  at  one 
hundred  guineas  unbound;  Racinet's  Polychromatic 
Ornaments,  a    splendid   copy    in    folio,  bound  in 
levant    morocco;    a  copy  of  the  first  editions  of 
Machiavelli    and  Montaigne;    an  early   Pindar  of 
about  1483,  etc.     The  doctor's   splendid  and  rare 
collection  is,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  books  of 
particular    rarity   and   value,    lodged    upon   plain 
shelves,  and  is,  as  he  says,  kept  more  for  use  than 
show. 


LORING   PICKERING. 

THIS  veteran  San  Francisco  journalist  has  a  col- 
lection of  books  numbering  upwards  of  two  thou- 
sand volumes.  Though  somewhat  scattered  over 
the  house,  as  books  that  are  in  constant  demand 
must  inevitably  be,  the  larger  portion  occupy  cases 
in  the  handsome,  broad  upper  hall  of  Mr,  Picker- 
ing's residence,  or  are  gathered  together  in  the 
cosily  furnished  little  study  at  its  termination. 

The  majority  of  the  books  are  composed  of  the 
works  of  the  best  standard  authors  in  English, 
French  and  German  literature,  selected  with  excel- 
lent taste,  and  including  many  works  which,  not 
absolutely  unique,  are  rarely  found  in  private  libra- 
ries. The  collection  on  the  subjects  of  newspapers 
and  journalism  is  probably  unrivaled  in  the  State. 
In  this  connection  it  is  worthy  of  mention  that  the 
largest  and  most  complete  collection  of  files  of 
Pacific  coast  newspapers  is,  undoubtedly,  in  this 
gentleman's  possession.  Beginning  with  the  first 
copy  of  the  California  Star,  the  newspaper 
pioneer  of  the  State,  published  at  Yerba  Buena 
January  9,  1847,  of  which  he  has  every  number 
published;  we  find  full  files  of  some  of  the  leading 
papers  down  to  the  present  time.  Fire  and  flood 
have  destroyed  many  newspapers  carefully  laid 
away  for  preservation  in  the  early  days,  con- 
sequently several  of  these  files  are  believed  to  be 


LORING    PICKERING.  177 

the  only  ones  in  existence.  Notable  among  these 
is  the  Placer  Times,  first  published  at  Sacramento, 
April  28,  1849,  by  Edward  C.  Kemble,  and  the 
Placer  Times  and  Transcript,  into  which  it  was 
afterwards  merged. 

For  many  years  Mr.  Pickering  has  been  saving 
material,  printed  and  written,  and  gathering  histor- 
ical matter  with  the  intention  to  first  publish  a 
history  of  the  California  press,  then  of  the  press 
of  St.  Louis,  and  finally — if  he  lives  long  enough 
—a  history  of  the  press  of  the  United  States. 
This  work  he  is  doing  in  the  most  faithful  and 
elaborate  manner.  The  plan  he  pursues  is  to  take 
up  every  important  subject  and  occurrence,  as,  in 
our  own  State,  the  proceedings  of  the  Vigilance 
Committee  in  the  early  days,  political  struggles, 
various  resources  of  the  State,  mining  develop- 
ments and  bubbles,  etc.,  and  give  the  positions 
taken  by  the  various  newspapers  at  various  times. 

A  journalist  of  full  forty  years'  experience,  a 
newspaper  owner  the  greater  portion  of  that  time, 
and  an  able  writer,  Mr.  Pickering  possesses  rare 
qualifications  for  the  task  he  has  undertaken. 
During  his  life-time  he  has  seen  most  of  the  im- 
portant newspapers  of  the  country  rise  and  many 
of  them  fall.  Newspapers  are  mutative,  change- 
able. Paper,  type,  issue,  politics,  name,  proprietor- 
ship and  editors  are  constantly  changing,  and  to 
follow  them  up  to  the  extent  required  in  making  a 
faithful  and  comprehensive  history  of  the  press  of 


1/8  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

the  country  is  a  formidable  task  requiring  rare 
courage,  patience  and  perseverance. 

He  has  already  written  enough  to  fill  six  or 
eight  large  volumes,  and  has  exhausted  but  a  small 
portion  of  his  field. 

In  addition  to  the  books  already  mentioned,  Mr. 
Pickering  has  a  number  of  works  relating  to  early 
New  England  history  and  the  genealogy  of  old 
New  England  families.  He  has  also  a  choice  col- 
lection of  illustrated  works,  including  Pictures  and 
Painters;  The  Sculpture  Gallery  (by  Daffone, 
Hervey  and  others) ;  Kaulbach's  Schiller  Gallery, 
and  Tomes'  Battles  of  America.  Mrs.  Pickering 
has  a  very  interesting  and  extensive  collection  of 
photographs  of  the  most  celebrated  paintings  and 
sculptures  in  the  principal  galleries  of  Europe,  of 
European  scenery,  eminent  personages  of  Europe, 
gathered  during  a  foreign  tour,  showing  much  taste 
in  selection,  and  appropriately  arranged  in  a  series 
of  albums. 


WILLIAM    H.    PLATT,    D.  D. 

THE  library  of  Dr.  Platt,  Rector  of  Grace 
Church  of  San  Francisco,  is  a  cheery  room  of 
generous  proportions,  lighted  by  a  bay  window 
commanding  a  view  which  is  in  itself  an  inspira- 
tion, and  may,  without  exaggeration,  be  called  one 
of  the  most  superb  in  the  world.  Situated  on  the 
northern  slope  of  Clay-street  hill,  that  portion  of 
the  view  from  the  house  commanded  by  this 
window  looks  down  upon  the  Golden  Gate  straits 
and  far  away,  through  the  sun-lit  hills  at  the 
entrance,  out  upon  the  broad  waters  of  the  great 
Pacific.  Across  the  straits  appear  Angel  Island 
and  the  sloping  hills  of  the  mainland,  all  vailed  by 
a  blue  gray  mist;  grim  Fort  Alcatraz,  less  formid- 
able to  behold  since  the  renowned  naval  battle  on 
our  centennial  anniversary*,  lies  to  the  northeast, 
and  beyond  stretch  the  dancing  waters  of  the  bay, 
until,  dwindling  into  the  narrows,  the  water  and  the 
land  become  one.  Then  there  is  one  little  corner 
of  the  window  from  which  Oakland,  in  her  emerald 
setting,  gleams  across  the  bay,  and  the  .blue  hills 
of  the  coast  range  rise  beyond.  In  the  near  fore- 
ground, on  the  one  hand,  lies  San  Francisco,  with 
a  glimpse  of  hundreds  of  tall  masts  in  a  cobweb  of 
rigging  at  her  wharves;  on  the  other  hand,  the 
beautiful  residences  adorning  the  slopes  of  the  hill 
to  the  west,  and  the  green  fields  and  rolling  ground 


l8o  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

of  the  Presidio  military  reservation.  I  have  de- 
scribed this  somewhat  at  length,  as  a  specimen  of 
the  beautiful  views  to  be  obtained  from  so  many  of 
our  San  Francisco  residences,  rather  than  an  ex- 
ception. 

The  room  is  plainly  but  comfortably  furnished, 
with  book-cases  of  black  walnut.  The  books 
number  about  three  thousand  volumes,  and  are 
largely  composed  of  solid  literature,,  with  some 
standard  works  of  romance  and  poetry;  every  sect 
and  every  religious  belief  finds  representation  among 
the  theological  works,  Calvin  and  Arminius  stand- 
ing peaceably  side  by  side. 

Dr.  Platt  has  a  extensive  collection  of  the  best 
authors  on  material  philosophy,  which  he  reads  and 
studies,  as  any  fair  disputant  will  always  select  the 
best  and  strongest  of  his  foes  to  combat.  There 
are  also  a  number  of  books  relating  to  art,  a  sub- 
ject to  which  he  has  given  considerable  attention, 
the  fruits  of  which  may  be  seen  in  his  compilation 
from  Ruskin,  a  text-book  for  students  of  art  which 
has  been  received  with  much  favor. 

The  library  contains  few  rare  books  save  among 
theological  works.  The  most  notable  of  these  is 
probably  the  first  American  edition  of  Rees'  En- 
cyclopaedia, in  eighty  volumes. 


T.  H.  REARDEN. 

SOME  sensible  people  buy  books  as  they  build 
houses,  first  study  up  a  plan  which  will  meet  all 
their  wants,  consult  their  means,  then  build  and 
finish  accordingly.  But  we  all  know  that  some  of 
the  most  attractive  old  houses  are  those  which  are 
built — now  a  wing  in  one  style  of  architecture,  fitted 
up  and  furnished  in  keeping — then  an  addition  on 
some  other  plan,  possessing  distinctive  features  of 
its  own,  and  so  on  from  one  period  to  another.  It 
may  be  an  eccentric  kind  of  a  house,  and  a  curious 
medley  of  a  house,  with  queer  ells  jutting  out  here 
and  there,  and  unexpected  nooks  and  corners,  and 
lack  some  features  essential  to  every  well-regulated 
house;  but  for  all  that  it  possesses  a  quaint  charm 
of  its  own;  it  has  somehow  acquired  an  individu- 
ality that  distinguishes  it  from  other  homes. 

The  somewhat  eccentric  collection  of  books  be- 
longing to  Mr.  T.  H.  Rearden,  consisting  of  about 
a  thousand  volumes,  is  in  some  respects  the  most 
interesting  in  the  city.  The  peculiarity  of  his  lit- 
tle library  is  the  collections  he  has  made  in  various 
directions.  He  has  a  Homeric  collection  of  about 
fifty  volumes,  including  some  twenty-five  editions 
of  Homer,  the  remainder  consisting  of  translations, 
Homeric  dictionaries,  etc.,  with  a  number  of 
Homeric  illustrations.  Several  of  these  editions 
are  of  an  early  date,  but  the  choicest  is  the  Clarke- 


I  82  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

Ernesti  edition,  printed  at  Glasgow  in  1814,  in  five 
volumes  vellum,  a  beautiful  and  correct  reprint 
from  the  Leipzig  edition  of  1759-64,  with  the 
addition  of  Wolfs  prolegomena.  This  copy  has  a 
special  interest,  from  having  once  been  in  the  li- 
brary of  the  celebrated  Greek  scholar  Yemeniz. 

A  small  collection  of  Decamcrons,  the  choicest 
of  which  is  the  Pickering  edition,  an  English  trans- 
lation of  1684;  across  the  title-page  is  written  in 
faded  ink:  "The  gift  of  Jno.  Deane,  Chaplain  of 
their  Maj'sts  shipp  Restauration,  to  Mr.  H. 
Jones."  As  the  only  time,  since  the  publication  of 
the  book,  that  ''their  Majesties"  reigned  in  Eng- 
land was  in  the  time  of  William  and  Mary,  1 689— 
94,  a  curious  feeling  is  inspired  as  one  thinks  of 
the  experience  the  book  may  have  undergone  since 
it  became  the  property  of  "  Mr.  H.  Jones,"  to 
finally  reach  the  distant  shore  of  a  then  almost  un- 
known country. 

Mr.  Rearden's  Tennysonian  collection  consists 
of  about  forty  editions  of  the  poems  of  the  Laure- 
ate, single  poems  and  complete  works,  by  English 
and  American  publishers,  from  vest-pocket  copies 
to  the  most  exquisite  illustrated  editions,  from  1842 
to  the  present  time,  together  with  the  various  con- 
cordances, etc.,  that  have  been  published.  Mr. 
Rearden  is  not  merely  an  admirer  but  a  critical 
reader  of  Tennyson,  and  in  many  of  the  poems  are 
inserted  little  slips  of  paper  containing  passages 
from  Greek  and  Latin  authors,  suggested  by  the 


T.    H.    REARDEN.  183 

poems;  sometimes  a  quotation  that  would  seem  to 
have  led  to  the  production  of  a  sonnet — all  written 
in  an  elegant  copper-plate  hand.  Mr.  Rearden 
takes  no  pride  in  his  Tennysonian  collection  be- 
cause the  famous  first  publication  and  others  is 
lacking,  a  little  book  of  great  rarity,  which  he  has 
given  up  all  hopes  of  ever  obtaining. 

Among-  the  Anacreons,   there   is    a  thin    folio. 

o 

bearing  on  the  fly-leaf  the  autograph  of  A.  J. 
Valpy,  the  English  Hellenist,  which  was,  until 
lately,  in  the  collection  now  dispersed,  of  a  scholarly 
lawyer  resident  in  Alameda.  The  work  is  com- 
posed of  five  prefatory  folios  and  sixty  pages  of 
text,  whereof  the  first  sixteen  are  a  fac-simile  of 
as  many  pages  (pages  676-91,  inclusive)  of  the 
Palatine  Codex  (so  called  from  its  having  been 
discovered  in  1606  in  the  library  of  the  Elector 
Palatine),  by  means  of  a  font  of  type  expressly  cast  for 
the  contractions;  the  matter  is  then  given  a  second 
time  in  a  parallel  column  with  the  same  in  un- 
contracted  letters.  The  original  writing  of  the 
Anacreon  portion  of  the  Codex  is  by  the  hand  of 
a  scribe  of  the  tenth  (or  possibly  eleventh)  cen- 
tury. Copper  plate  etchings  illustrate  the  work, 
which  is  accompanied  by  a  prose  Latin  translation. 
This  Anacreon  was  published  at  Rome  in  1783, 
by  Joseph  Spalletti  (an  exceedingly  patient  student, 
who  made  an  almost  fac-simile  transcription  of 
the  entire  Codex),  assisted  by  a  number  of  Roman 
artists.  The  Codex  referred  to  is  a  quarto  ms., 
on  parchment,  containing  an  Anthology  or  Flori- 


184  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

legium  (as  such  collections  were  styled),  by  one 
Constantinus  Cephalas,  of  pagan  and  Christian 
epigrams  and  other  more  extended  works  (includ- 
ing the  Anacreontia,  spurious  or  genuine),  classic 
and  post-classic.  It  was  sent,  as  its  brass  inscrip- 
tion attests,  from  Heidelberg,  in  1623  (after  the 
capture  of  the  place  by  Count  Tilly  in  the  thirty 
years'  war),  by  Maximilian  of  Bavaria,  as  a  sort  of 
tribute  to  Gregory  XV.,  then  pope.  It  remained 
at  the  Vatican  until  1797,  when,  as  part  of  the 
revolutionary  spoils,  it  went  to  Paris.  It  has, 
however,  since  been  returned  to  Heidelberg,  and 
now  rests  in  the  University  library.  Negatives 
have  quite  recently  been  prepared,  under  supervi- 
sion of  the  academic  authorities,  of  the  entire 
Codex,  photographs  from  .which  can,  we  believe, 
be  procured  at  comparatively  small  cost. 

By  way  of  illustration  of  mediaeval  chirography, 
we  here  insert,  as  germane  to  a  work  on  libraries, 
a  reduced  fac-simile  of  one  page  (684)  of  the 
Anacreon  text,  followed  by  the  same  matter  from 
a  revised  text  written  in  modern  .uncontracted 
character,  together  with  a  metrical  Latin  version 
by  the  eminent  French  philologist  of  the  sixteenth 
century,  Henri  Estienne  (Stephanus),  and  an  Kng- 
lish  version.  It  may  interest  college  lads  to  puz- 
zle over  the  contractions  in  use  by  ancient  scribes, 
which  became  so  numerous  that,  by  the  time  print- 
ing was  invented,  a  Greek  font  of  type  was  com- 
posed of  upwards  of  seven  hundred  and  fifty  sepa- 
rate characters. 


(Cod.  Pal.,  p.  684-,  facsimile.) 

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The  same  — a  Latin  version. 
By  Henricus  Stephanus,  (Estienne),  who  died  A.D.  1598. 


[Jt  StlpSO.        UHeneris  superque  myrtU,  super  et  virente  loto 

(P  Recubans,  bibaiu  lubenter:  religatus  at  papyro 
i   Tanicam  Cupido  collo,  mihi  pooulum  ministret. 
Rota  nam  velut  curnhs  properat  volucris  set  as: 
Tennis  jacebiinusque  cinis,  ossibus  solutis. 
Tuinulum  quid  eat  quod  ungas,  vel  humo  quod  ebibenda 
Peri tura  dona  fundas?    Potius,  manente  vita, 
Roseas  meo  corollas  capiti,  ferasqne  odores: 
Mihi  et  evoces  amicani.    Etenim  priusquam  ad  Orci 
Rspiar  nigri  choreas,  volo  dissipare  curas. 


Cunib 


jjjfcuper  silente  nocte,  quum  jam  rotntur  Ursa 
v   Circa  raunum  Bootee,  et  corpus  omne  somnos 
'    Feasumlabore  carpit:  supervenit,  foresqne 
Meas  Cupido  pulsat.    Quis  tundit  ostium,  inquam, 
Turbatque  soraniantem  ?    Reclnde,  clamat  ille, 
Fores,  metumque  pone.    Rain  sum  puellus,  et  per 
Illunem  oberro  noctem  madens  ab  imbre  totus. 
Ut  audii  haec,  miscrtus  accendo  lumen,  atque 
Meos  recludo  postes.    Tune  conspicor  puellum 
Sed  arcum  habentem  et  alas,  sed  pendulam  pharetram. 
Foco  admovetur  a  me,  manibus  manus  et  ejus 
Foveo  ut  calescat,  imbrem  et  exprimo  capillis. 
Ille,  ut  recessit  algor,  Probeinus,  inquit,  arcum, 
An  laesus  imbra  nervus.    Statimque  tendit  ilium, 
Ferit  et  mihi  sagitta  medium  jecur,  quasi  oestrum. 
Tune  exsilit  cachinnans,  aitque,  Gratulare , 
O  hospes,  Ecce  salvus  raeus  quidem  mihi  arcus 
At  cor  tibi  dolebit. 


*~r 


t 

ter  quaterque  fenx  Oicnda,  qnse  supi-emis 

In  arborum  viretis,  roris  parnm  nt  bibisti, 
Cantare  dulce  gaudes  reginam  agens  potentem. 
Quodcnnque  conspicaris  tuum  est,  quod  arva  gignunt. 
Quod  sylva  cunque  profert.    Te  amplectitnr  colonus, 
Quod  ejus  in  labores  injuriosa  non  sis: 
Oolnnt,  Cicada,  tc  omnes,  divina  quod  puteris 
yK-tntis  imminentia.    Ts  diligunt  Camcenae. 
Te  diligitque  Phoebus,  vocemque  dat  canoram. 
Te  non  senecta  carpit.    Festiva,  terra:  alumna, 
Cantus  arnica,  et  omnis  mali  et  doloris  expers. 
Ulla  nee  aucta  carne,  nee  aucta  sanguine  ullo 
Ipsis  abos  parum  a  diis. 


The  same— an  Engli«h  version. 

Concerning       Sgfc'rew  me  a  conch  with  tender  sheaves  of  clover  blossom,  myrtle  leaves; 
^And  bring  me  wine ;  while  in  due  state,  let  Eros,  linen-cinctured,  Wait. 

Swift  as  a  chariot  wheel,  away  spins  the  bright  circle  of  Life's  day ; 
And  soon,  our  crumbling  bones  are  dry ;  and  soon,  as  blanching  dust,  we  lie. 
On  soulless  stone,  why  waste  thy  myrrh  ?    Why  grace,  with  wine,  the  sepulchre  T 
In  Life,  let  perfumes  cool  my  brow:  I'll  don  the  rosy  chaplet  now. 
And  bid  the  Fair  One  come  to  day:  for,  Eros,  I,  (ere  called  away 
To  join  the  sullen  choir  below),  would  free  my  heart  from  carking  woe. 


Concrrninq 
(Eros. 


r^was  in  the  dead  hour  of  the  night;  the  starry  Beir  his  round  had  quite 
y  Beneath  his  Keeper's  hand  fulfilled ;  the  voiceful  mortal  race  was  stilled ; 

When  Eros  came  with  great  uproar,  rattling  the  hinges  of  my  door. 
"Who,"  cried  I,  "is  this  rash  wight  — putting  my  visions  thus  to  flight?" 

And  Eros  answered,  meek  and  shy :  ••  Pray,  fear  not :  open :  't  is  but  I. 
"  Through  wet  and  cold,  in  doleful  plight,  I've  wandered  wide  this  moonless  night." 

'  T  was  pity  stirred  me  for  his  woes,  as  with  enkindled  torch,  I  rose : 

Unbarring  to  the  froward  lad,  I  marked  how  wings  and  bow  he  had — 

His  bow  —  fell  weapon  of  his  crafts  —  his  quiver  —  fraught  with  store  of  shafts. 

By  the  bright  hearth,  I  held  him,  till,  from  his  soft  hands,  was  gone  the  chill, 

And  from  his  curls  of  golden  hair,  I  pressed  the  dank  drops  nestled  there. 

And  now,  from  every  grievance  free,  the  Arch  Rogue  cries,  "  Come,  let  us  see 
"  If  this,  my  bowstring,  damp  from  rain,  its  force  unerring,  still  retain." 

From  bended  bow,  forth  leapt  the  dart,  and  stung  my  unsuspecting  heart. 

Escaping  then,  the  laughing  boy :  "  Fair  Host,  thou'lt  surely  wish  me  joy ; 
"  Staunch  proves  my  bow;  and  in  thy  breast,  that  barb  should  well  my  skill  attest." 


(Joiutruing 
the  <£irub;i. 


Xyicada,  truly  blessed  art  thou,  enthroned  upon  yon  airy  bough; 
y    Thy  food,  the  dew :  thy  trade,  to  sing;  thou  keepest  state  as  might  a  king. 

Fair  spreads  before  thee  thy  domain  —  the  shady  grove,  the  flowery  plain  — 
All  gifts  the  shining  Hours  bestow  from  Heaven  above  on  Earth  below. 
The  ploughman  owns  thy  friendly  charm:  thy  days  glide  by  devoid  of  harm: 
The  Muses  prize  thee  of  their  train:  Apollo's  gift,  thy  silvery  strain : 
Notes  dear  to  mortals,  thou  dost  sing,  Oh,  sweet  Foreteller  of  the  Spring ! 
Thou  dost  not  fear,  gay  minstrel  sage,  the  ills  that  wait  on  wrinkled  Age : 
No  blood,  no  flesh  to  peak  and  pine  —  thou  art,  in  sooth,  almost  divine. 


T.    H.    REARDEN.  185 

The  Lamius  Anacreon,  published  in  1742,  and 
one  published  by  Andrew  Foulis,  in  Glasgow,  in 
1783,  are  both  somewhat  rare  editions,  some  copies 
of , the  latter  having  been  printed  on  silk. 

The  collection  of  Don  Quixotes  embraces  a 
number  of  volumes  with  sketches,  plates  and  illus- 
trations of  every  degree  of  excellence  and  atrocity. 
One  edition,  tastefully  bound  in  polished  dark 
green  calf,  is  printed  in  Spanish  in  1/98,  with 
beautiful  copper  plates  executed  by  Spaniards, 
with  fidelity  to  the  dress  of  the  period;  these 
plates  are  pronounced  by  a  connoisseur  to  be  ele- 
gant specimens  of  engraving. 

Among  other  rare  or  curious  books  is  Cortius' 
Sallust,  Leipzig  edition  of  1724,  with  Rufus 
Choate's  autograph;  a  genuine  Propertius,  Tibullus 
and  Catullus,  (Aldus  Manutius,  1501-2)  in  the 
Italic  type;  Illustrium  Imagines,  a  curious  book, 
printed  in  1517,  evidently  during  a  time  of  transi- 
tion from  block  books  to  movable  type;  a  copy  of 
Virgil  in  elegant  Italic  text  printed  in  i652,atrans- 
lation  of  Boethius,  in  1609;  Hollandtsche  Riim- 
Kroniik,  van  Metis  Stoke,  a  quaint  book,  published 
in  1620;  A  Longus,  a  pastoral  poem  of  Daphnis 
and  Chloe,  the  type  of  Paul  and  Virginia,  printed 
by  Peter  Didot,  in  1802,  with  elegant  engravings 
and  beautiful  type;  Longinus,  Leipzig,  1769;  a 
copy  of  Ancient  Spanish  Ballads,  by  Lockhart, 
published  by  John  Murray,  of  London,  a  beautiful 
specimen  of  printing,  also  containing  vignettes  and . 


l86  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

ornamental  borders,  colored  and  heightened  with 
gold,  designed  by  Owen  Jones;  and  the  Mabino- 
gion  of  Lady  Guest  Schreiber,  printed  in  the  heart 
of  Wales,  famous  as  well  for  its  beautiful  typogra- 
phy as  for  the  learning  displayed  in  its  preparation. 
The  remainder  of  the  collection  consists  chiefly 
of  Italian,  French  and  German  books,  and  classics 
in  the  originals,  with  a  number  of  works  on  gems 
and  gem  engraving,  and  a  small  collection  of  edi- 
tions of  Ariosto. 


R.  C.  ROGERS. 

MR.  ROGERS,  though  a  man  of  only  middle  age, 
is  celebrated  in  the  history  of  our  country,  and  is, 
though  the  fact  is  not  known  to  many  of  his  con- 
temporaries, the  midshipman  Rogers;  whose  ex- 
ploit during  the  Mexican  war  is  one  of  the  last 
commemorated  in  Cooper's  Naval  History.  His 
elegant  suburban  residence  is  situated  on  a  com- 
manding eminence  overlooking  the  bay  and  Golden 
Gate,  on  the  corner  of  Baker  and  Haight  streets. 
His  library  is  tastefully  fitted  up,  and  includes 
many  fine  paintings  and  works  of  arts.  The 
library  contains  about  two  thousand  volumes, 
entirely  composed  of  standard  works,  such  as 
might  be  selected  by  a  gentleman  of  taste  and 
cultivation,  many  of  them  finely  bound.  Among 
the  most  notable  are  a  set  of  Bradford's  Arctic 
Views,  handsomely  bound  in  morocco,  with  em- 
blematic ornaments,  and  one  of  the  most  elegantly 
printed  works  in  the  world ;  Daniel  Webster's 
works,  one  of  the  subscribers'  sets,  in  six  volumes, 
with  his  autograph;  and  a  set  of  the  Tauchnitz 
edition  of  Dante,  which  was  presented  to  him 
while  residing  in  Italy,  by  his  friend  Longfellow, 
the  poet,  who  has  since  made  the  best  translation 
of  the  great  Italian  author.  This  set  contains  an 
interesting  autographical  presentation  inscription 
by  the  poet. 


L.  S.  B.  SAWYER. 

ASIDE  from  a  class  of  ostentatious  people  who 
seek  rich  and  showy  bindings  for  the  sake  of  dis- 
play, there  are  a  number  of  genuine  book-lovers, 
who  prefer  their  books  in  choice  editions  and  ele- 
gant bindings,  as  they  enjoy  seeing  a  beautiful 
picture  appropriately  framed.  The  possession  of 
the  works  of  a  favorite  author  poorly  printed  or 
bound,  with  narrow  margins  or  on  inferior  paper, 
displeases,  if  it  does  not  absolutely  distress  them. 

Besides  the  pleasing  effect  of  a  superior  binding, 
there  are  many  strong,  practical  arguments  to  be 
made  in  its  favor.  A  well-bound  book  will  stand 
treble  the  usage  of  a  poorly  bound  book;  if  the 
reader  wishes  to  lay  it  down  for  a  moment,  it  will 
remain  open  at  any  place  he  desires;  the  covers 
can  be  put  back  to  back  without  injury;  when 
closed  the  book  measures  exactly  the  same  where 
the  edges  meet  as  at  the  back,  and  continuous  use 
will  not  cause  it  to  spread.  Aside  from  all  this, 
there  is  an  sesthetical  pleasure  afforded  by  the 
mere  consciousness  that  book  and  binding  are  in 
perfect  harmony. 

The  library  of  Mr.  L.  S.  B.  Sawyer,  of  San 
Francisco,  consists  of  about  two  thousand  volumes, 
scarcely  one  of  which  is  not  full  and  daintily  bound, 
the  most  pleasing  diversity  being  exhibited  in 
colors  and  styles.  Old  books  are  uniformly  clad 


L.    S.    B.    SAWYER.  189 

in  speckled,  paneled  or  inlaid  calf,  or  vellum. 
Every  color  and  shade  of  polished  calf  is  seen, 
yellow,  golden,  mastic,  drab,  dark  green,  dark 
brown,  chocolate  and  red,  and  many  beautiful 
specimens  of  tree  calf.  Large  art  works  and  many 
others  are  bound  in  levant,  brown,  scarlet,  choco- 
late, green  and  blue. 

The  collection  is  composed  entirely  of  English 
literature  in  the  best  editions  the  collector  has 
been  able  to  obtain,  the  whole  collection  indi- 
cating cultivated  taste  and  excellent  judgment.  It 
is  practically  complete  in  history,  poetry,  romance, 
philosophy  and  art.  It  contains  all  of  Pearson!  s 
Reprints  of  Old  Authors  so  far  published;  all  of 
Arber  s  Reprints,  a  large  paper  edition  in  nine 
octavo  volumes;  and  the  Library  of  Old  Authors, 
published  by  John  Russell  Smith,  of  London,  in 
fifty-five  volumes.  It  also  includes  the  Abbots- 
ford  edition  of  the  Waverley  novels,  with  all  the 
original  plates,  full  size,  a  reprint  of  the  1575  edi- 
tion of  Painter's  Palace  of  Pleasure;  Macaulay's 
Lays  of  Ancient  Rome  are  bound  in  a  style  notice- 
ably elegant,  in  green  levant,  with  quaint  and  ap- 
propriate gilt  emblems  on  covers  and  back. 

The  editions  of  Shakespeare  are  eight  in  num- 
ber, and  comprise  a  fac-simile  of  the  edition  of 
1623;  Knight's  best  edition  in  eight  volumes;  the 
Singer,  Campbell  and  several  others,  together  with 
the  Pickering,  a  quaint  little  diamond  edition,  not 
commonly  seen  in  our  libraries,  in  nine  volumes, 


I9O  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

each  volume  containing  about  three  hundred  and 
forty  pages.  The  size  of  the  printed  surface  of 
each  page  is  one  and  three-eighths  by  two  and 
three-quarter  inches. 

Among  books  of  some  rarity  are  the  Palmerin 
of  England,  London,  1807,  and  Gcsta  Romanorum, 
Swan,  London,  1824;  Musarum  Deltci<z,D'Urfey's 
works;  and  Dodsley 's  and  other  collections  of  old 
plays. 

Mr.  Sawyer's  art  works  are  many  of  them  artist 
proofs,  and  all  of  early  impressions  of  the  plates. 
They  comprise  an  original  Boydell  Shakespeare, 
an  artist  proof  copy  of  L) ore's  Idyls  of  the  King, 
with  other  works  illustrated  by  the  same  artist; 
J\lusee  Francaise,  four  folio  volumes ;  Musee  Roy  ale, 
two  folio  volumes;  a  recent  collection  of  India 
proofs,  known  as  Selected  Pictures,  in  four  folio 
volumes;  Maste'r  Works  of  the  Dresden  Gallery; 
and  the  original  edition  of  7 he  British  Gallery, 
published  in  1807.  The  collection  also  includes  a 
large  portfolio  of  superior  engravings  and  etchings, 
among  them  a  number  of  proofs  of  some  celebrity. 

The  room  devoted  to  library  purposes  is  a  cosy 
back  parlor,  with  large  bay  window,  attractively 
furnished;  at  one  side  of  the  room  is  a  fire-place 
with  marble  mantel  of  chaste  and  tasteful  design. 

o 

Floral  ornaments  and  bric-a-brac  are  freely  distrib- 
uted about  and  lend  the  room  a  homelike  air;  a 
little  water-color,  an  original  of  Birket  Foster's,  is 
noticeable  upon  the  wall,  and  two  exquisite  ivory 


L.    S.    B.    SAWYER. 

carvings,  one  representing  "  Cupid  as  a  Beggar," 
the  other,  "Cupid  as  a  Blacksmith,"  rest  on  small 
brackets;  these  came  from  the  President  of  the 
School  of  Art  at  Munich.  The  book-cases  are  of 
inlaid  black  walnut,  with  a  large,  square  case  for 
elephant  folios.  Adjoining  this  room  is  a  smaller 
apartment,  separated  by  dark  crimson  curtains, 
containing  book-cases  and  a  writing-desk,  which  is 
used  for  a  study. 


WILLIAM   SCOTT,  D.D. 

DR.  Scott's  collection  of  about  five  thousand 
volumes,  is  eminently  composed  of  solid  litera- 
ture. It  is  a  library  designed  for  use  and 
study,  rather  than  pleasure  or  recreation.  To  the 
ordinary  reader  the  books  would  present  a  formid- 
able array;  to  the  owner  they  are  a  host  of  old 
friends,  a  little  dusty,  it  is  true,  and  somewhat  out 
at  elbows,  but  old  friends,  nevertheless,  ever  will- 
ing to  stretch  out  a  helping  hand  in  his  labors. 

The  ordinary  reader,  finding  delight  in  the  light 
fictitious  literature  of  the  day,  scanning  these 
shelves,  would  be  profuse  in  adjectives  of  "dry," 
"heavy,"  "stupid!"  But  the  ordinary  reader 
does  not  appreciate  the  fact  that  the  delvers  in 
books  ofttimes  find  as  much  pleasure  and  more 
profit  in  solid  literature. 

The  collection  is  largely  composed  of  historical, 
biographical  and  theological  works,  Greek  and 
Latin  classics  and  works  on  exegesis.  It  also  em- 
braces a  number  of  works  of  English  and 
American  statesmen,  and  a  goodly  collection 
of  travels,  journeys  in  the  Holy  Land  being  made 
a  specialty;  among  the  theological  books  are  the 
complete  works  of  Augustine,  Calvin  and  Rosen- 
muller.  There  are  dictionaries  in  a  dozen  lan- 
guages, and  other  standard  works  of  reference. 
Among  books  of  some  rarity  in  the  collection  are: 


WILLIAM    SCOTT,    D.D.  193 

Giannonis  History  of  Naples,  published  in 
London,  in  1820.;  Bayles  Dictionary,  the  London 
edition  of  1731;  Leigh's  Cr.itical  Sacra,  Amster- 
dam, 1696;  Polano's  History  of  the  Council  of 
Trent,  1613;  Heidegerri's  Corpus,  Turin,  1700; 
Pott's  Synopsis,  five  folio  volumes,  printed  at 
Frankfort,  in  1712;  and  a  curious  old  translation 
of  Horace,  published  in  1782,  in  London. 

Dr.  Scott's  library  is  chiefly  located  in  a  large 
study  in  St.  John's  Presbyterian  Church,  of  which 
he  is  pastor;  plain  wooden  shelving  receive  the 
mass  of  the  books,  but  several  wooden  tables  and 
a  broad  projecting  shelf,  at  the  base  of  the  shelv- 
ing, are  literally  piled  with  books,  papers  and  manu- 
script; the  whole  room  is  a  maze  of  literature. 
Several-  engravings  hang  on  the  walls,  notable 
among  which  is  a  portrait  of  Andrew  Jackson 
(who  was  a  member  of  Dr.  Scott's  Church  previ- 
ous to  his  death),  bearing  an  autograph  letter  on 
the  back. 


THEODORE  SHILLABER. 

THIS  collection,  consisting  of  about  fifteen  hun- 
dred volumes,  is  selected  with  taste  and  discrimi- 
nation, and  has  been  the  slow  growth  of  years. 
A  cultivated,  if  somewhat  severe,  taste  has  dic- 
tated the  selection,  and  the  product  is  a  library 
consisting  almost  exclusively  of  the  best  authors,, 
represented  by  their  most  worthy  works,  with  very 
little  light  literature.  It  also  comprises  French, 
German  and  Spanish  works,  Greek  and  Latin 
classics,  dictionaries  in  various  languages,  some 
scientific  works,  and  a  few  choice  art  works. 

Among  the  latter  may  be  mentioned  Rousellet's 
India,  Wey's  Rome,  The  Rafael  Album,  many  of 
Heath's  engravings,  and  L 'Art,  published  by 
Ballue. 

Among  other  books  worthy  of  mention  are 
Maitland's  History  of  London,  with  illustrations  of 
the  House  of  Commons  and  Lords  at  the  time  of 
Burke,  Pitt  and  Fox;  Fignier  s  Scientific  Works, 
in  the  original;  7 lie  Seven  Wonders  of  the  World; 
Schlegel's  History  of  Literature;  Memoirs  of 
Silvio  Pellico;  Eothen;  Hope's  Anastasius;  Beck- 
ford's  Vathestk;  Tigner's  Fritkiof s  Saga;  and 
Maxims,  Characters  and  Reflections,  by  Fulk 
Greville,  the  latter  a  work  rarely  seen. 

Among  Mr.  Shillaber's  many  choice  works  of 
art  is  one  designed  to  occupy  a  place  in  his  library, 


THEODORE    SHILLABER.  1 95 

which,  aside  from  its  intrinsic  beauty  and  value, 
possesses  considerable  historical  interest.  This  is 
W.  W.  Story's  design  for  the  Byron  monument  in 
London,  which  took  the  first  prize,  but  for  which 
the  sculptor,  under  somewhat  singular  circum- 
stances, failed  to  receive  the  commission  to  exe- 
cute the  work. 

The  facts  of  the  case  are  somewhat  curious. 
Lord  Rosslyn  put  in  Mr.  Story's  sketch,  and  it 
was  awarded  the  first  prize  by  common  consent. 
Disraeli  and  Rosslyn,  the  majority  of  the  com- 
mittee, were  anxious  that  he  should  have  the  com- 
mission, and  were  quite  satisfied,  but  Sir  Robert 
Peel  had  a  young  protege  who  had  put  in  a  sketch, 
and  he  pressed  his  claims  with  such  warmth  and 
with  such  insistance,  and  under  such  circumstances, 
that  he  prevailed  in  obtaining  a  majority  in  bis 
favor,  and  the  commission  was  awarded  to  him. 
This  young  artist,  quite  unknown  in  his  profession, 
then  refused  to  commence  the  full  sized  model 
until  he  was  paid  half  the  money.  He  and  his 
friends  could  give  no  guarantee  that  the  work 
would  ever  be  executed  if  the  money  was  thus  ad- 
vanced, and  the  committee,  under  such  circum- 
stances, were  naturally  unwilling  to  pay.  This 
was  the  condition  of  affairs  in  the  spring  of  1878, 
and  everything  was  at  a  dead  lock. 

Mr.  Story's  work,  which  was  thus  both  accepted 
and  rejected,  passed  into  the  hands  of  his  friends, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shillaber,  who  value  it  above  all 


196  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

their  other  treasures  of  art.  The  design  is  in 
plaster,  nearly  thirty-six  inches  in  height.  The 
poet  is  represented  in  a  sitting  posture,  his  chin 
resting  in  the  palm  of  his  right  hand,  and  elbow 
leaning  on  his  knee.  The  finely  chiseled  features 
wear  a  thoughtful  and  somewhat  melancholy  look, 
and  his  eyes  appear  to  be  looking  far  away,  dream- 
ing of  the  future.  His  right  foot  is  slightly  raised, 
and  placed  upon  the  capital  of  a  pillar.  In  his 
left  hand  he  holds  a  half  closed  book.  The  figure 
is  enveloped  in  a  large  mantle  which  falls  away 
from  the  right  shoulder  in  graceful  folds,  half  dis- 
closing his  dress — the  ordinary  costume  of  a  gentle- 
man of  that  period,  with  the  graceful  negligent 
collar  and  loosely  knotted  tie  seen  in  all  his  por- 
traits. 

The  whole  figure  is  exceedingly  graceful  and 
expressive,  and  the  minor  details  carefully  studied, 
from  the  shapely  hand  and  foot  to  the  clustering 
curls. 

On  the  front  of  the  capital  is  simply  "  BYRON." 
On  one  side  are  the  following  lines  from  Childe 

o 

Harold,  canto  iv,  verse  cxxxvii : 

But  I  have  lived,  and  have  not  lived  in  vain, 
My  mind  may  lose  its  force,  my  blood  its  fire, 

And  my  frame  perish  even  in  enduring  pain; 
But  there  is  that  within  me  which  shall  live 

Torture  and  time  and  breathe  when  I  expire; 
Something  unearthly  which  they  deem  not  of 

Like  the  remember'd  tone  of  a  mute  lyre. 


THEODORE    SHILLABER.  197 

On  the  other  side  the  following  (Childe  Harold, 
canto  iv,  verse  ix,  cxxxiv): 

I  twine 

My  hopes  of  being  remembered  in  my  time 
With  my  land's  language. 
Not  in  the  air  shall  these  my  words  dispense, 
Though  I  be  ashes. 


G.  FRANK 'SMITH. 

THIS  library  consists  of  three  thousand  five 
hundred  volumes,  and  is  thoroughly  miscellaneous, 
with  a  well-assorted  stock  of  encyclopedias,  con- 
cordances and  dictionaries — geographical,  chrono- 
logical and  biographical,  about  one  thousand 
volumes  of  novels  and  other  works  of  romance, 
comprising  the  best  reading  in  historical  fiction, 
and  including  such  authors  as  Dr.  Ware, 
Holcroft,  De  Mille,  Rydberg,  Elliott,  Landon,  etc., 
in  addition  to  complete  and  handsomely  bound  sets 
of  Scott,  Bulwer,  Dickens,  Irving,  Thackeray, 
James,  Cooper,  Muhlbach,  Mulock,  Dumas,  De 
Stael,  Hugo,  Lever,  Melville,  Fielding,  Ains- 
worth  and  Maryatt;  including  an  extensive  collec- 
tion of  "  Tales,"  arranged  in  separate  nationalities. 
Excepting  a  case  of  well-assorted  poetry  of  about 
200  volumes,  which  embraces  every  writer  of  note 
from  Homer  to  Joaquin  Miller,  and  a  small  sprink- 
ling of  scientific  works,  principally  on  astronomy, 
mechanics  and  chemistry,  the  remainder  of  this 
library  consists  mainly  of  historical,  biographical, 
metaphysical,  theological  and  mythological  works, 
and  is  evidently  collected  by  a  student  for  the  pur- 
pose of  reference  and  research  in  these  special 
branches'  of  literature;  there  being  five  sets  of 
English  history,  three  of  American,  three  of 
French,  two  each  of  Roman,  Grecian,  German, 


G.    FRANK    SMITH.  199 

Scotch  and  Irish,  with  histories  of  Russia,  Sweden, 
the  Netherlands,  Italy,  Abyssinia,  Africa,  the  Sand- 
wich Islands.  Morocco,  Wales,  etc.  A  distinctive 
feature  of  this  collection  is  the  extensive  gathering 
of  works  on  chivalry  and  mythology,  in  the  first  of 
which  branches  it  is  probably  unrivaled  on  this  coast, 
embracing  such  writers  as  Mills,  Grey,  Lobeira, 
Walford,  Florian,  Bulfinch,  James,  etc. ;  in  the 
latter  it  will  be  difficult  to  find  any  author,  from 
Pausanias  to  Bulfinch,  not  reposing  on  these 
shelves,  costumed  in  handsome  calf. 

In  the  department  of  fiction  are  a  number  of 
well-preserved  and  handsomely  bound  copies  of 
old  English  novels,  such  as  Pamelia,  Clarissa  Har- 
lowe.  Sir  Charles  Grandison,  Amadis  de  Gaul,  Pal- 
merin  of  England,  Haywood's  novels,  early  Eng- 
lish romances,  etc.  What  "old  books  "  or  "early 
editions"  are  in  this  library  have  been  the  result  of 
accident  rather  than  design;  it  being  Mr.  Smith's 
pronounced  opinion  that  old  editions  of  books,  like 
Roman  coins  and  medieval  furniture,  are  only  valu- 
able for  their  rarity,  and  because  scarce  they  cost 
more — that  they  have  no  intrinsic  value;  that  an- 
cient authors  are  largely  the  gainers  by  reproduc- 
tion; that  "later  editions'  are,  if  accurate,  im- 
proved editions — more  desirable  for  practical  use, 
and,  as  far  as  size,  binding  and  type  are  concerned, 
infinitely  more  convenient.  On  which  reasoning, 
reprints  have  been  preferred  by  this  gentleman, 
and  the  modern  press  sought  for  by  him  in  every 


2OO  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

attainable    instance;    consequently    there    are    no 
unique  volumes  here  and  very  few  early  ones. 

History  of  the  Inquisition,  by  Philip  a  Lamborch, 
published  in  1731;  The.  Inquisition  Unmasked,  by 
D.  Antonio  Pingblanch,  published  in  1716;  De 
Solis'  History  of  the  Conquest  of  Mexico,  published 
in  1738;  Life  of  Baron  Trenck,  published  in  1739; 
Valerius  Maximus  (English  translation),  pub- 
lished in  1678;  Age  of  Louis  XIV.  (original  Lon- 
don edition),  1779,  and  a  few  others  of  even  later 
date,  of  which  there  are  no  reprints,  or  later 
copies,  difficult  to  obtain,  comprise  the  exceptions 
to  what  would  otherwise  be  a  strictly  modern  col- 
lection. 


LELAND   STANFORD. 

THE  library  of  ex-Governor  Stanford,  President 
of  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad,  occupies  a  large 
apartment  on  the  ground  floor  of  his  elegant  San 
Francisco  mansion,  lighted  by  a  broad  bay-window 
and  two  single  windows.  The  room  is  lofty  and 
spacious,  about  fifty  feet  long  and  thirty  feet  wide, 
the  floor  is  covered  with  a  rich  Persian  carpet,  the 
window  draperies  corresponding  in  style.  The 
furniture  is  partly  of  willow,  partly  upholstered 
with  green  and  brown  morocco,  with  heavily 
carved  tables  and  desks  of  solid  mahogany.  A 
revolving  book-case,  standing  near  the  bay- 
window,  bears  an  exquisite  bronze  of  Poesy  on 
the  apex.  The  interior  woodwork  of  the  room, 
probably  unsurpassed  for  elegance  in  the  United 
States,  is  of  solid  mahogany,  inlaid  with  rosewood; 
the  window-cornices,  arches  over  doors,  mantel 
and  book-cases,  in  the  Louis  Ouatorze  style,  are 
graceful  in  their  architectural  design  and  perfect  in 
their  finish;  an  imposing  mantel-piece,  eight  feet 
wide  and  sixteen  feet  high,  is  elaborately  carved 
and  inlaid,  with  several  panel  bas-reliefs  of  bronze; 
a  large  mirror  occupies  the  center  of  the  upper  por- 
tion, and  on  either  side  of  the  opening  below  are 
two  cases  with  heavy  doors,  devoted  to  the  recep- 
tion of  large  folios.  Busts  of  Byron  and  Milton 
rest  above  the  cases,  and  two  full-length  portraits 


• 


2O2  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stanford  adorn  the  walls.  In  a 
little  corner  between  the  bay-window  and  an  adja- 
cent book-case  hangs  a  testimonial  from  the 
Fifteenth  Session  of  the  Legislature  of  California, 
attesting  their  appreciation  of  the  able,  upright  and 
faithful  manner  in  which  Leland  Stanford  has  dis- 
charged his  duties  as  Governor  of  California;  a 
little  certificate  below  states  that  the  resolution 
was  adopted  in  the  Senate  without  a  dissenting 
vote,  and  in  the  Assembly  with  one  dissenting 
vote.  The  ceiling  is  painted  on  canvas,  by  supe- 
rior artists,  and  has  portraits  of  Shakespeare, 
Humboldt,  Agassiz  and  J.  Fenimore  Cooper  in 
the  frieze,  and  Morse,  Franklin,  Stephenson  and 
Fulton  in  the  corners  of  the  center  panel. 
Low  book-cases,  handsomely  finished,  line  the 
walls  of  the  room  on  every  side,  but  the  books 
have  already  outstripped  the  space  allotted  to  them, 
although  in  some  places  in  double  rows.  The  col- 
lection is  fast  increasing,  and  at  no  distant  day  it 
will  become  necessary  to  increase  its  accomoda- 
tions. 

A  little  more  than  three  thousand  volumes  now 
repose  upon  the  shelves,  excellently  selected  for 
reference,  study  and  recreation. 

In  the  department  of  history  the  collection  is 
very  full,  with  the  complete  works  of  such  authors 
as  Momson,  Gibbon,  Thiers,  Robertson,  Motley, 
Knight,  Froude,  Hume,  Macaulay,  Grote,  Bunsen, 
Rawlinson,  Buckle,  Napier,  Bancroft,  Lossing, 


LELAND    STANFORD.  203 

Prescott,  and   many  others,  and  comprises  a  very 
complete  collection  of  works  relating  to  China. 

In  poetry,  we  find  the  works  of  Hood,  Words- 
worth, Pope,  Goldsmith,  Byron,  Moore,  Mrs. 
Hemans,  Schiller,  Goethe  and  The  Aldine  Poets, 
with  a  reprint  of  the  folio  manuscript  edition  of 
Percy,  and  the  best  edition  of  Butler's  Hudibras, 
published  in  1744,  with  the  cuts  beautifully  en- 
graved by  Hogarth. 

The  departments  of  science  and  philosophy  are 
represented  by  the  productions  of  Charles  Morren, 
Darwin,  Tyndall,  Wilson,  Hamilton,  Max  Miiller, 
Cuvier,  Jardin,  etc.,  and  include  several  books  of 
extreme  rarity,  with  a  number  of  United  States 
government  reports  and  explorations.  Deserving 
of  mention  in  this  connection  are  :  The  Yellowstone 
Park,  with  Prang's  chromos  of  scenery;  Natural 
History  of  Carolina,  Florida  and  the  Bahamas, 
by  Catesby,  with  plates  colored  by  hand,  text  in 
French  and  English,  published  in  1754;  Bradford's 
Arctic  Region,  a  magnificent  work;  and  one  of 
the  four  volumes  of  the  Geological  Survey  of  Cali- 
fornia, with  the  plates  colored  by  hand. 

Among  the  miscellaneous  works  are  a  full  set 
of  The  BritisJi  Novelists,  and  the  collected  works 
of  De  Quincey,  Swift,  Howitt,  Guizot,  Addison, 
Pascal,  Bacon,  Dickens,  Thackeray,  Smollett, 
Borrow,  Irving,  and  others,  the  majority  in  plain, 
serviceable  editions,  on  good  paper  and  with  clear 
type. 


2O4  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

The  department  of  reference  comprises  the  usual 
standard  encyclopedias,  etc.,  almost  uniformly 
bound  in  full  russia. 

The  library  also  contains  a  fine  collection  of 
books  relating-  to  art,  among  others  La  Croix's 
Moyen  Age,  Baronial  Halls,  Meyer  Von  Bremen 's 
Gallery,  Mclan's  Costumes  of  the  Scottish  Clans, 
Wey's  Rome,  Grammar  of  Ornament  by  Owen 
Jones,  and  the  London  Art  'Journal,  from  1849- 
78. 

Among  choice  works  is  a  late  reprint  of  the 
much-prized  original  edition  of  Ruskin,  each  book 
bearing  the  author's  autograph,  attesting  that  it  is 
one  of  a  thousand  accurate  reprints,  issued  under 
his  personal  supervision,  an  edition  of  Voltaire  in 
eighteen  volumes,  published  in  1 780,  and  Knight's 
Arabian  Nights,  three  volumes  printed  in  1839, 
illustrated  by  Harvey,  a  choice  and  much-sought 
edition,  now  out  of  print. 

The  library  also  includes  an  extensive  collection 
of  early  voyages,  among  which  are  Harris  Voy- 
ages, published  in  1744;  Hakluyt's  Voyages;  An- 
son's  Voyage  Round  the  World,  1748;  the  orig- 
inal edition  of  the  Explorations  of  Sir  John  Frank- 
lin; and  Cook's  Voyages,  published  in  1773,  ac- 
companied by  the  large  atlas. 

Mr.  Stanford's  books  exhibit  many  elegant  spe- 
cimens of  binding,  but  the  owner  evidently  cares 
more  for  the  contents  than  their  dress,  as  the  li- 
brary editions  proper  are  largely  in  plain  but  sub- 


LELAND    STANFORD.  205 

stantial  bindings  of  half  calf.  The  collection  prob- 
ably includes  more  American  bindings  than  any 
other  of  its  extent  in  the  State,  and  its  exterior 
appearance  goes  far  to  prove  that  American  work- 
men are  rivaling  those  of  the  same  craft  in  the 
old  world. 


W.  C.  TALBOT. 

THIS  collection,  consisting  of  about  two  thou- 
sand volumes,  is  notable  more  for  the  taste  dis- 
played in  the  selection  and  the  number  of  choice 
editions  than  for  any  special  feature.  Largely 
composed  of  standard  English  literature,  with  the 
works  of  some  of  the  best  French  and  German 
authors,  romance,  poetry  and  the  drama  are  very 
full,  and  the  collection  includes  a  number  of  early 
voyages,  elegant  illustrated  works  of  travel  in 
various  countries,  and  a  few  choice  works  relating 
to  natural  history.  Among  the  many  illustrated 
books  and  art  works  we  find  the  Queen's  Book  of 
Balmoral;  Boy  dell  Shakespeare;  a  series  of  studies 
by  Michael  Angelo,  Correggio  and  Leonardo  da 
Vinci ;  Flaxman's  Dante;  Lii'tke  s  History  of  Art;  a 
collection  of  line  engravings  illustrating  the  life  of 
Luther,  by  Labouchere;  Baronial  Halls;  La  Croix's 
Moyen  Age;  The  Gothic  Revival;  Hogarth;  Kaul- 
bach's  Schiller  Gallery;  The  Sermon  on  the 
Mount,  illuminated  by  Hudsley;  the  works  illus- 
trated by  Dore;  and  Regen  Sonnenschein,  a  beauti- 
ful work,  illustrated  by  Louise  Kugler. 

Mr.  Talbot's  library  is  a  large  room,  with  so 
much  space  given  to  windows  that  the  book-cases 
have  insufficient  accommodation.  The  room  is  taste- 
fully furnished  with  Wilton  carpet  of  deep-shaded 
crimson,  the  walls  softly  tinted,  the  ceiling  elabo- 


W.    C.    TALBOT.  2O7 

rately  frescoed  in  an  artistic  design;  a  large  center 
table  with  colored  marble  top,  and  a  little  side- 
table  of  richly  carved  ebony.  Near  a  side  window 
stands  a  megaletoscope,  from  Venice,  beautifully 
carved,  with  numerous  large  photographs  of  Euro- 
pean scenery.  An  interesting  collection  of  curios 
from  the  Sandwich  Islands,  together  with  an  ex- 
tensive collection  of  ferns,  the  latter  classified 
and  beautifully  mounted,  are  deserving  of  notice. 
Among  the  choice  works  of  art  decorating  the 
room  are,  a  Scene  in  Napa  Valley,  by  Virgil  Will- 
iams; a  View  in  the  White  Mountains,  by  Knapp; 
and  copies  of  Murillo's  Beggar  Boys. 


R.  A.  THOMPSON. 

THIS  select  private  library  of  about  one  thou- 
sand volumes,  consists  mainly  of  "Americana,"  and 
is  especially  full  in  the  local  history  of  California, 
Oregon  and  Mexico.  It  includes  nearly  all  of  the 
early  voyages  to  the  South  Seas  in  search  of  a  north- 
west passage,  down  to  the  beginning  of  this  century, 
and  the  much  rarer  travels  overland  toward  the 
''  Shining  Mountains,"  as  the  early  explorers  called 
the  great  continental  divide  which  separates  the 
Atlantic  from  the  Pacific  slope. 

The  early  navigators  were  from  the  heart  of 
civilization  in  Europe,  and  large  editions  of  the 
most  important  voyages,  printed  on  their  return, 
were  distributed  over  the  world,  and  are  found  in 
most  libraries.  The  collection  of  Mr.  Thompson 
contains  nearly  all  the  voyages  from  Drake  to  Van- 
couver, many  of  them  original  editions,  curious  in 
matter,  style  and  typography.  The  books  in  the 
collection  of  this  class  come  down  in  order  to  the 
time  of  Vancouver — when  the  ever  to  be  remem- 
bered and  honored  American  skipper  Captain  Gray 
crossed  the  fresh  track  of  the  English  navigator, 
discovered  the  mouth  of  a  great  river,  sailed  inland 
on  its  waters,  and  named  it  for  his  good  ship  the 
"  Columbia." 

From  this  period,  or  very  shortly  thereafter, 
commenced  the  voyages  of  discovery  by  land 


R.    A.    THOMPSON.  209 

from  the  then  western  frontier  of  the  United  States 
and  Canada,  towards  the  sources  of  the  great  rivers 
flowing  eastward  from  the  unknown  heart  of  the 
continent.  The  voyageurs  were  fur  hunters  who 
had  a  thorough  contempt  for  literature.  Accounts 
of  their  explorations  were  rarely  published,  and 
had  but  limited  circulation.  They  have  now  be- 
come of  great  interest,  and  are  only  to  be  pro- 
cured on  the  breaking  up  of  old  libraries.  In 
books  of  this  class  the  collection  of  Mr.  Thompson 
is  unusually  complete. 

The  oldest  by  priority  of  .date  is  entitled  Travels 
through  the  Interior  Part  of  North  America,  in 
1 766-68,  by  Capt.  Jonathan  Carver,  with  maps 
and  plates,  London,  1778.  The  author  left  Boston 
in  1766,  and  claims  to  have  traveled  to  the  head 
of  the  Mississippi  river.  The  originality  of  the 
work  is  questioned  by  some  authors,  who  accuse 
Captain  Carver  of  plagiarism,  especially  from  the 
letters  of  P.  De  Charlevoix,  giving  an  account  of 
a  voyage  to  Canada,  and  travels  through  that  vast 
country  and  Louisiana  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico, 
which  antedated  by  some  years  the  publication 
of  Captain  Carver.  Be  that  as  it  may,  the  work 
contains  a  great  deal  that  is  curious,  and  is  notable 
as  having  first  mentioned  the  river  Oregon,  which 
he  was  told  flowed  from  the  "Shining  Mountains," 
westward  to  the  Pacific.  This  name  was  thence- 
forth given  to  that  vast  territory  "where  rolls  the 
Oregon,"  though  the  river  itself,  on  its  discovery, 
was  called  the  Columbia. 


2IO  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

The  next  of  the  works  of  this  class  in  the  col- 
lection is  an  early  English  edition  of  The  Voy- 
ages from  Montreal,  Canada,  through  the  Con- 
tinent to  the  Frozen  and  Pacific  Oceans,  from 
1789-1795,  by  Sir  Archibald  Mackenzie.  This 
daring  explorer,  on  his  first  voyage,  settled  be- 
yond controversy  the  question  of  a  north-west 
passage  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  oceans, 
which  for  three  hundred  years  navigators  of  all  na- 
tions had  believed  to  exist,  and  had  eagerly  sought. 
On  his  second  voyage  he  went  to  the  Pacific 
ocean,  and  was  the  first  explorer  to  cross  the  con- 
tinent. The  collection  contains  the  best  edition 
of  Lewis  &  Clark's  Travels  to  the  source  of  the 
Missouri,  then  down  the  Columbia  river  to  the 
Pacific  ocean  —  the  Paul  Allen  edition,  with  the 
original  map,  now  difficult  to  procure. 

The  next  work  of  this  class  is  a  quarto,  entitled 
An  Account  of  an  Expedition  to  the  Sources  of 
the  Mississippi,  the  North-west  Provinces  of 
Louisiana,  and  the  Sources  of  the  Arkansaw,  by 
Captain  Zebulon  M.  Pike,  with  maps,  London. 
1811.  Of  about  the  same  date  is  Baron  Hum- 
boldt's  Political  Essay  on  New  Spain,  in  four  vol- 
umes, a  neat  London  edition.  One  of  the  rare 
books  in  the  collection  is  the  account  of  a  voyage 
up  the  Missouri  to  the  Mandan  village,  by  H.  M. 
Breckinridge,  printed  in  Baltimore,  1811. 

The  next  in  order  of  the  American  explorers  is 
an  account  of  an  expedition  from  Pittsburg  to  the 


R.    A.    THOMPSON.  2  I  I 

Rocky  Mountains,  performed  in  1819-1820,  by 
Major  S.  H.  Long,  by  order  of  the  Hon.  John  C. 
Calhoun,  Secretary  of  War.  This  is  a  beautiful 
edition  in  three  volumes,  bound  in  Turkey  moroc- 
co; and  illustrated  by  maps  and  colored  plates, 
printed  in  London,  in  1823. 

The  journal  of  the  voyages  and  travels  in  the 
interior  of  North  America,  by  Daniel  William 
Harmon,  a  partner  in  the  North-west  Fur  Com- 
pany, printed  in  Andover,  Mass.,  1820,  is  one  of 
the  rarest  books  of  this  class  in  the  library.  Mr. 
Harmon  resided  in  the  interior  of  the  continent 
from  1 800  to  1820;  eight  and  a  half  years  of  that 
time  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  on  his  re- 
turn published  his  journal.  But  the  most  remark- 
able of  the  many  interesting  events  in  the  life  of 
the  author  is  the  fact  that,  though  far  from  the  re- 
fining restraints  of  society  and  religion,  and  in  fact 
under  the  very  worst  opposite  influence,  he  seems 
to  have  lived  the  life  of  a  conscientious  and  de- 
vout Christian.  In  this  regard  he  was  certainly  an 
exception  to  the  early  Canadian  voyagers,  who 
were,  as  a  rule,  as  wild  as  the  wild  tribes  with 
whom  they  were  associated. 

Among  other  works  worthy  of  note  of  this 
period  are  well  -  preserved  editions  of  Major 
Long ' s  Expedition  to  the  Source  of  the  St.  Peter  s 
River,  in  1819-20;  Narrative  of  a  Voyage  to  the 
North-west  Coast  of  America,  in  the  years  1811- 
12-13,  by  Gabriel  Franchere;  Ross  Cox's  Advert- 


2  I  2  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

tures  on  the  Columbia;  Alexander  Ross'  First 
Settlers  on  the  Oregon,  and  the  beautifully  writ- 
ten works  of  Astoria,  and  Adventures  of  Captain 
Bonneville,  by  Washington  Irving. 

Between  1832  and  1845,  a  number  of  books 
were  published  on  Oregon,  most  of  which  are  in 
this  collection.  Among  them  John  B.  Wyeth's 
Oregon,  or  a  long  journey  from  the  Atlantic  to  the 
Pacific  region,  printed  at  Cambridge,  Mass.,  in 
1833;  also  Townsend's  Narrative,  1839;  Par- 
kers Tour,  Ithaca,  N.  Y.,  1842;  Dr.  White's 
Travels,  and  early  histories  of  Oregon,  by  the 
following  authors,  respectively:  Dunn,  Greenhow, 
Hines,  Thornton,  Tucker,  and  others;  also  volume 
one  of  the  Oregon  Spectator,  printed  at  Oregon 
city  in  1846,  the  first  paper  published  in  the  Eng- 
lish language  on  the  Pacific  coast. 

The  early  works  on  California,  in  the  collection, 
are :  Patties  Narrative,  the  first  published  account 
of  an  overland  journey  to  and  through  California, 
made  in  1827-30,  a  very  scarce  work.  Alfred 
Roberson's  Life  in  California,  Boston,  1846; 
Wilke  s  Expedition.  All  the  reports  and  explor- 
ations by  United  States  Army  officers,  from  Fre- 
mont down  to  and  including  the  Pacific  railroad 
reports,  in  thirteen  volumes,  published  in  1854. 
Of  the  miscellaneous  works  on  California  are  L. 
W.  Hasting's  History;  Farnham's  three  publica- 
tions; Alexander  Forbes'  History;  Bryant's  What 
I  saw  in  California;  History  of  Lower  Calif  or- 


R.    A.    THOMPSON.  213 

nia,  and  Life  of  Junipero  Serra,  by  Francisco 
Palou;  Dr.  Palmer's  Old  and  New;  Hinton  Row- 
an Helper's  Land  of  Gold;  Life  in  California, 
by  Marryatt;  Lieut.  Wise's  Los  Gringos;  Bart- 
lett's  Personal  Narrative;  all  of  Colton's  works; 
Life  of  Com.  Stockton,  and  Four  Years  in  the 
Pacific,  by  the  Hon.  Fred.  Walpole,  an  officer  in 
the  Collingsford.  The  collection  also  contains 
bound  volumes  of  Hutching's  Magazine,  a  com- 
plete set  of  the  Overland  Monthly,  and  all  the 
late  publications  on  California,  and  the  most  im- 
portant books  published  in  this  State,  from  the 
first — A  Guide  to  the  Gold  Regions,  by  F.  P. 
Wierzbicki,  San  Francisco,  1849,  printed  by 
Washington  Bartlett. 

There  is  also  a  collection  of  rare  works  on 
Mexico.  The  oldest  of  which  is  De  Solis'  Con- 
quesi  by  the  Spaniards^  printed  in  London,  1727, 
with  the  original  illustrations,  which  are  both  in- 
teresting and  curious;  Ward's  Mexico;  Poinsetf  s; 
Waddy  Thompson  s  Recollections;  Madame  Cal- 
deron  De  Barca's  Life  in  Mexico;  Kendall's 
Santa  Fe  Expedition;  Gregg's  Commerce  of  the 
Prairies;  with  later  works  and  travels,  and  most 
of  the  histories  of  the  war  between  Mexico  and  the 
United  States.  Of  the  curious  books  in  the  col- 
lection is  El  Dorado,  being  a  narrative  of  the  cir- 
cumstances which  gave  rise  to  the  reports  in  the 
sixteenth  century  of  the  existence  of  a  rich  and 


214  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

splendid  city  of  that  name  in  South  America,  with 
a  defense  of  Sir  Walter  Raleigh.  Of  English 
history  and  miscellaneous  literature,  the  library 
contains  standard  works,  of  which  some  are  rare. 
One  of  the  latter  is  called  Sylvia  Sylvarum,  or  a 
Natural  History  in  Ten  Centurys,  by  Lord  Bacon, 
published  soon  after  the  author's  death,  in  1660, 
with  a  quaint  portrait  of  the  great  philosopher  en- 
graved on  steel.  The  collection  also  has  a  num- 
ber of  works  upon  the  life,  history  and  campaigns 
of  Napoleon  the  Great.  But  it  is  only  in  Amer- 
ican history  and  literature  that  Mr.  Thompson 
claims  any  degree  of  completeness  for  his  library. 
His  idea  has  been  to  gather  the  best  American  au- 
thors in  all  branches  of  literature.  He  has  a  com- 
plete set  of  Hawthorne's  works — a  writer,  he 
deems  unsurpassed  by  any  modern  author  in  pur- 
ity of  style,  pathos  and  in  dramatic  power.  The 
works  of  Prescott  and  Irving,  ornaments  to  our 
age  and  language,  and  the  readable  sketches  en- 
titled Roba  de  Roma,  by  the  gifted  American  poet 
and  sculptor,  W.  W.  Story. 

It  is  not  creditable  to  our  literary  tastes,  as  a 
nation,  that  most  of  the  distinguished  American 
writers  grew  popular  at  home,  only  after  they  had 
received  the  unqualified  approbation  of  foreign 
critique  and  review,  and  it  cannot  be  denied  that 
there  is  a  numerous  class  of  our  own  countrymen 
who  know  more  of  foreign  literature  and  authors 


R.    A.    THOMPSON.  215 

than  of  our  own.  With  that  class,  the  collector  of 
this  library  has  little  in  common;  hence  his  collec- 
tion, while  it  contains  many  standard  English 
works,  is  in  the  main  a  Bibliotheca  Americana, 
especially  complete  in  works  relating  to  the  Pacific 
coast,  States  and  territories. 


JOSEPH    W.   WINANS. 

ONE  of  the  largest  and  most  interesting  collec- 
tions in  the  city  is  possessed  by  Mr.  Winans,  who 
is  an  enthusiastic  collector  and  lover  of  books. 
His  library  contains  about  five  thousand  volumes, 
and  has  not  one  alone,  but  many  remarkable  feat- 
ures. It  is  like  a  tree  that  has  never  been  pruned 
or  trimmed,  but,  planted  in  good  soil,  has  had  a 
healthy,  vigorous  growth,  thrusting  out  a  branch 
here  and  a  branch  there,  with  hundreds  of  spread- 
ing boughs  and  twigs,  until  there  becomes  a  charm 
in  its  very  irregularity.  This  library  covers  a  wide 
field,  embracing  a  large  and  choice  collection  of 
valuable  works  in  the  several  departments  of 
Greek  and  Latin  classics,  both  in  the  original  and 
annotated  copies;  archaeological  works;  ballads; 
anecdote  and  jest;  atlases  and  geographies;  bibli- 
ography; biographies;  botany;  collections  of  cari- 
catures, entertaining  and  instructive;  civilization; 
chronology;  constitutions;  correspondence  (diaries 
and  letters);  costumes;  countries,  places  and  to- 
pography; cyclopaedias;  dictionaries;  drama  and 
dramatic  literature;  essays;  facetiae;  history; 
ethnology;  illustrated  fine  art  words;  legends; 
metaphysics  and  philosophy;  nature  and  natural 
history;  sciences;  novels;  painting,  sculpture,  etc.; 
poetry,  quotations,  extracts  and  selections;  religi- 
ous works;  works  on  romantic  literature;  fairy 


JOSEPH    W.    WINANS.  217 

tales;  Greek  and  Latin  translations;  narratives  and 
travels  and  voyages. 

It  includes  as  many  as  three  hundred  rare  and 
choice  art  works,  among  which  are  several  volumes 
of  steel  plates  of  the  old  masters  of  the  English, 
Flemish,  Spanish,  French,  German  and  Italian 
schools;  elephant  folio  Boy  dell  Shakespeare, 
original  edition;  Racinet's  Polychromatic  Orna- 
ments; Owen  Jones'  Grammar  of  Ornament; 
Dell's  Antique  Statues  of  Greeks  and  Romans, 
two  elephant  folios;  Illuminated  Arms  of  all  the 
Bishops  of  England;  engravings  of  Michael 
Angelo's  works;  Albert  Durer's  Great  and  Little 
Passion;  and  Life  of  the  Virgin  Mary;  La 
Croix's  works  complete;  Panquet  Freres'  steel 
plates  of  costumes,  hand  colored;  Elijah  Walton's 
vignettes  of  Alpine  flowers  and  lake  scenery;  the 
Schiller,  Goethe,  Stafford  and  other  galleries; 
Hakewell's  Italy,  with  Turner's  plates;  a  collection 
of  Cruikshank's  eighty-four  plates,  folio  size;  Gill- 
ray  s  Caricatures;  a  copy  of  Tasso's  Jerusalem, 
with  the  original  engravings;  Napoleon's  Cam- 
paigne  d1  Italie;  and  the  Art  Journal  from  the 
commencement. 

Among  other  notable  works  is  a  splendid  copy  of 
Don  Quixote,  with  seven  hundred  illustrations;  a 
folio  reprint  of  the  first  edition  of  Shakespeare; 
Westwood's  Anglo-Saxon  and  Irish  Manuscripts, 
and  Jardine's  Library  of  Natural  Science,  in  forty- 
two  volumes. 


2  I  8  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

The  library  also  contains  a  large  collection  of 
fundamental  religious  works,  consisting  of  the 
Bible,  Koran,  Dabistan,  Book  of  Mormon,  Ar- 
cana of  the  Spirits,  Zenda  Vesta,  Confucius, 
Swedenborg,  and  the  Wheel  of  the  Law,  contain- 
ing the  Buddhist  faith.  The  collection  also  in- 
cludes works  of  the  standard  French  and  German 
authors,  Goethe,  Schiller,  Cazanova,  Moliere,  Ra- 
cine, etc. 


R.  B.  WOODWARD. 

THE  country  residence  of  Mr.  R.  B.  Woodward, 
one  of  the  oldest,  most  energetic  and  public 
spirited  business  men  of  San  Francisco,  is  pleas- 
antly located  in  Napa  Valley,  six  miles  from  Napa, 
on  his  Oak  Knoll  ranch  of  some  eighteen  hundred 
acres,  through  which  the  Calistoga  Railroad  passes 
for  the  distance  of  one  mile.  The  house  is  built 
on  a  knoll,,  covered  with  beautiful  flowers  and 
shrubs,  and  surrounded  by  large  and  lofty  oaks, 
with  a  fountain  filled  with  gold  fish,  and  a  large 
trout  pond.  A  long  avenue  of  trees  leads  up  to 
the  house,  and  the  whole  place  has  the  appearance 
of  an  old  English  home. 

The  library  is  a  large  room,  tastefully  furnished. 
Among  the  works  of  art  adorning  the  room  are 
bronze  busts  of  Shakespeare,  Milton,  Byron  and 
Scott.  A  painting  of  Linda  di  Chamouni,  by  A. 
Ratti  of  Rome,  represents  a  scene  from  the  well- 
known  opera;  Pierotto  appears  on  the  hill,  descend- 
ing pensively,  playing  his  usual  tune.  Linda  fal- 
teringly  follows  the  sound  of  the  music,  till  she 
reaches  a  bench  on  which  she  falls  exhausted. 

A  fine  copy  of  Rafael's  Madona  della  Seggiola 
is  painted  by  Berti  of  Florence.  A  striking  pict- 
ure of  Italian  life,  called  "Sunday  in  an  Italian 
Village,"  the  work  of  a  Swiss  artist  in  Rome,  and 
a  beautiful  portrait  of  Beatrice  Cenci,  from  the 
original  by  Guido,  also  decorate  the  walls. 


22O  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

Mr.  Woodward's  books  number  about  two  thou- 
sand volumes  of  choice  selections,  with  the  com- 
plete works  of  most  of  the  best  standard  authors, 
including  Dickens,  Scott,  Marryatt,  Irving,  Milton, 
Byron,  Pope,  Macaulay,  Bancroft,  and  in  fact  all 
the  leading  historians,  poets  and  novelists,  with 
an  extensive  collection  of  travels  and  voyages, 
especially  such  as  have  been  elegantly  illustrate^. 

The  library  also  contains  Bonn's  Classical  Li- 
brary, complete;  Audubon's  Birds  of  America; 
an  extensive  collection  of  travels;  and  a  number 
of  works  on  art,  sculpture  and  painting,  both  an- 
cient and  modern,  many  of  them  highly  illustrated. 

In  concluding  our  description  of  Mr.  Wood- 
ward's library,  it  is  but  justice  to  him  to  say  that 
his  generous  gifts  to  various  public  libraries  have 
reduced  his  collection  to  about  one  half  or  less 
than  one  half  of  what  it  would  have  otherwise 
been,  though  he  would  be  the  last  one  in  the 
world  to  mention  it. 


W.  A.  WOODWARD. 

THE  library  of  Mr.  W.  A.  Woodward,  of  the 
Alfa  California,  is  a  room  of  moderate  size,  taste- 
fully furnished  and  frescoed,  lighted  by  north  and 
east  windows.  On  the  walls  hang  two  companion 
water- colors  of  peculiar  character  and  merit,  the 
one  representing  "Vesuvius  by  Night,"  the  flame 
and  heavy  smoke  rolling  up  against  a  dark  sky, 
with  weird  effect,  and  throwing  a  red  path  over 
the  murky  water;  the  other,  "  Vesuvius  by  Day/' 
shows  only  a  stately  mountain,  with  placid  white 
clouds  floating  above.  Another,  a  conflagration, 
after  Rubens,  is  a  remarkable  old  picture,  and  an 
old  painting  of  great  merit  and  peculiar  coloring, 
by  an  unknown  artist,  represents  an  old  saint 
bending  over  a  book.  An  original  portrait  of  Sir 
Francis  Drake,  a  marine  view  by  Denny,  and  a 
view  in  the  Yo  Semite,  by  Jewett,  are  also  notice- 
able. 

Mr.  Woodward's  books  are  so  scattered  between 
town  and  country  house,  that  it  would  be  difficult 
to  make  an  accurate  estimate  of  the  number,  which 
may,  however,  be  safely  placed  at  several  thou- 
sand volumes.  They  include  a  liberal  supply  of 
standard  literature,  but  are  remarkable  for  the 
number  of  old  curios,  many  of  which  are  almost 
unique. 

In  this   almost   inexhaustible    store    of  literary 


222  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

treasures,  we  note  a  rare  old  book  published  at 
Amsterdam,  in  1658,  called  Nouvelle  Alliance;  an 
early  copy  of  the  Breeches  Bible,  printed  in  1591; 
Thcatrum  Artis  Pictorice,  by  De  Prenner,  pub- 
lished at  Vienna,  1728,  a  fine  folio  volume  con- 
taining etchings  of  old  paintings,  with  Latin  text; 
the  hundred-guinea  Macklin  Bible,  in  six  volumes, 
folio,  with  magnificent  copper  plates;  a  rare  old 
C<esar,  printed  at  Venice  in  1544,  in  the  original 
binding  of  embossed  pigskin,  one  of  the  most  per- 
fect specimens  of  an  Aldine  in  the  country;  a  rela- 
tion or  Diary  of  the  Siege  of  Vienna,  by  John 
Peter,  printed  in  1682;  Kreuterbuch,  a  German 
encyclopaedia  of  arts  and  sciences,  with  curious  old 
illustrations  of  plants,  animals  and  machinery, 
dated  1587;  Trevisanus,  a  quaint  book  published 
in  1623,  containing  an  account  of  chemical  marvels 
in  relation  to  the  philosopher's  stone ;  Ortelius' 
Redivivus  et  Continuatus  ode  Ungarische,  a  curi- 
ous chronicle  of  Hungary,  published  in  1635,  by 
Martin  Meyern;  a  fine  old  copy  of  Sallust,  printed 
in  1574;  Jacobi  Sanazarii  Opera  Omnia,  1569; 
Suetonius,  Amsterdam,  1580;  Pontanus,  Basil, 
1556  ;  Paterculus,  1746;  an  early  edition  of 
Young's  Night  Thoughts,  published  at  Dublin  in 
1754,  from  the  library  of  General  Washington, 
bearing  his  crest  and  book  plate,  and  containing 
some  notes  in  his  hand;  a  fine  old  edition  of  Livy, 
printed  at  Frankfort-on-the-Main  in  1588,  Cicero 
de  OficitSy  Lyons,  ^544;  Auligeleii  Nodes  Atticce. 


W.    A.    WOODWARD.  223 

Frankfort,  1603;  and  Opera  Horarum  subcisi- 
varium  sive  Meditationis,  Frankfort,  1515. 

Unlike  most  people  who  glance  over  a  picture, 
catching  only  the  general  effect,  Mr.  Woodward 
is  a  most  critical  observer  of  old  engravings,  and 
this  keen  study  of  details  has  led  him  to  many  in- 
teresting and  amusing  discoveries  in  old  illustra- 
tions. 

In  the  first  place  he  has  noted  that  in  the  early 
days  of  engraving,  the  reversed  effect  of  the  pic- 
ture, when  printed,  was  not  calculated  upon,  and 
consequently  soldiers  appear  to  brandish  swords, 
kings  to  bear  scepters,  and  workmen  to  hold  im- 
plements in  their  left  hands.  One  old  illustrated 
work,  by  De  Royaumont,  U  Histoire  de  la  Bible 
et  du  Nouveau  Testament,  printed  in  1696,  con- 
tains a  copper-plate  engraving,  in  which  Jael  is 
represented  driving  the  nail  into  Sisera's  head  with 
her  left  hand. 

In  A  History  of  the  Turkish  Wars,  published 
in  1587,  is  one  engraving  illustrating  the  siege  of  a 
city,  in  which  Mr.  Woodward  points  out  cannon, 
battering-rams,  spears,  bows,  and  a  mortar  casting 
shells. 

This  library  also  contains  a  folio  reprint  of  Ho- 
garth, Audubon's  Birds  of  America,  and  a  collec- 
tion of  representations  of  frescoes  in  Pompeii, 
which  may  be  considered  the  most  beautiful  art 
work  in  any  private  collection  in  the  State,  and  is 
probably  unique.  These  consist  of  beautifully 


224  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

executed  oil  paintings  of  female  figures,  and    illu- 
minated photographs  of  scenes. 

Among  other  rare  and  curious  works  are  Aurea 
LegendraLombardica,  Nuremburg,  1496;  Cowper's 
Commentary  on  the  Revelations,  London, '  1619; 
Cornelii  Taciti,  Antwerp,  1627;  The  Whole  Duty 
of  Man;  Necessary  for  All  Families,  London,  1663, 
printed  for  Timothy  Garthwait;  Jervis'  Don 
Quixote,  two  volumes,  London,  1756;  Beaumont 
and  Fletcher,  seven  volumes,  London,  1711;  Bun- 
yan's  Pilgrims  Progress,  London,  1715;  a  re- 
print of  A  Citizen  of  the  World,  Letters  of  a 
Chinese  Philosopher,  printed  at  Albany,  N.  Y., 
1794;  Martin  Luther's  Bible,  a  large  book  printed 
at  Regensberg,  in  1756;  Travels  in  Hungary >  by 
Robert  Thompson,  illustrated  by  copper  plates  and 
published  in  1793;  the  original  edition  of  Burney's 
Discoveries  in  the  SoutJi  Sea,  four  volumes,  Lon- 
don, 1803;  and  Caulfield's  Remarkable  Persons, 
London,  1819. 


LORENZO  G.  YATES,  M.  D. 

DR.  YATES'  collection,  of  about  one  thousand 
volumes,  consists  largely  of  scientific  works,  with 
books  of  reference  and  general  literature.  The 
most  remarkable  feature  is  the  number  of  works 
relating  to  natural  history,  which  comprise  fine  col- 
lections of  the  standard  authors  in  the  various  de- 
partments of  botany  (recent  and  fossil),  con- 
chology,  entomology,  geology,  mineralogy,  orni- 
thology, paleontology  and  zoology;  making  a  rich 
library  of  reference  for  a  student  in  these  branches. 
A  number  of  Government  geological  surveys  and 
explorations  form  a  valuable  accessory. 

Among  works  deserving  special  mention  are: 

Tableau  Encyclopedique  et  Methodique,  des 
Trois  Regnes  de  la  Nature;  contenant:  1'Hel- 
minthologie,  ou  les  vers  infusoires,  les  vers  in- 
testins,  les  vers  mollusques,  etc.;  par  M.  Bru- 
guire,  Docteur  en  Medecines;  a  Paris,  chez  Panck- 
oucke,  Lebraire,  Hotel  de  Thou,  rue  des  Poite- 
vins,  1791;  five  volumes,  with  four  hundred  and 
eighty-eight  plates  of  several  thousand  figures. 

Palcsontological  Memoirs  and  Notes  of  Hugh 
Falconer,  A.M.,  M.D.,  compiled  and  edited  by 
Charles  Murchison,  M.D.,  F.R.S.  Vol.  I.  con- 
tains, "  Fauna  antiqua  Sivalensis,"  thirty-four 
plates.  Vol.11.  ''Mastodon,  Elephant,  Rhinoceros, 


226  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

Ossiferous  Caves.  Primeval  Man  and  his  Cotem- 
poraries,"  thirty-eight  plates. 

"  Fauna,  Antiqua  Sivalensis,"  being  the  Fossil 
Zoology  of  the  Sewalik  Hills  in  the  North  of  In- 
dia, by  Hugh  Falconer  and  T.  Cautley;  royal  folio, 
map  and  one  hundred  and  seven  plates,  by  Ford, 
parts  one  to  nine  (all  issued). 

Odontography;  or,  a  Treatise  on  the  Compara- 
tive Anatomy  of  the  Teeth;  their  Physiological  Re- 
lations, Mode  of  Development,  and  Microscopical 
Structure  in  the  Vertebrate  Animals,  by  Richard 
Owen,  F.R.S.,  etc.,  etc.;  two  vols.,  London,  1840 
-45  (out  of  print),  with  one  hundred  and  fifty  plates. 

Agassiz'  Nomenclator  Zoologicns,  continens:  no- 
mina  systematica  generum  animalium  tarn  viven- 
tium  quam  fossilium,  secundum  ordinem  alphabet- 
icum  disposita,  adjectis  auctoribus,  libris,  in  quibus 
reperiuntur,  anno  editionis,  etymologia  et  familiis, 
ad  quas  pertinent,  in  singulis  classibus.  Auctore 
L.  Agassiz,  1842-46. 

Also,  Nomenclator  is  Zoologici,  Index  Universa- 
lis,  continens:  nomina  systematica  classium,  ordi- 
num,  familiarum  et  generum  animalium,  omnium, 
tarn  viventium  quam  fossilium,  secundum  ordinum 
alphabeticum  unicum  deposita,  adjectis  homonymiis 
plantarum,  nee  non  variis  ad  notationibus  et  emen- 
dationibus.  Auctore  L.  Agassiz,  1846. 

This  work,  of  over  one  thousand  four  hundred 
quarto  pages,  represents  a  vast  amount  of  labor  and 
research,  and  being  a  work  of  reference  only,  for 


LORENZO    G.    YATES,    M.  D.  22; 

the  use  of  scientists  in  their  literary  researches,  it 
has  not  been  brought  to  the  notice  of  the  majority 
of  the  admirers  of  the  lamented  Agassiz,  a  great 
proportion  of  whom  are  probably  unaware  of  its 
existence. 


COLLECTED  NOTES. 


IN  the  library  of  J.  S.  Alemany,  Archbishop  of 
California,  at  San  Francisco,  there  are  two  thou- 
sand seven  hundred  and  fifty  volumes,  consisting 
principally  of  various  versions  and  editions  of  the 
holy  bible,  commentaries  on  the  same,  the  writ- 
ings of  the  fathers  and  doctors  of  the  church,  bul- 
larisms,  canon  law,  theology,  history,  liturgy  and 
the  classics.  Among  the  editions  of  the  holy 
scriptures,  one  is  printed  in  1565,  and  another  in 
1475,  probably  the  oldest  in  California. 

The  late  Faxon  D.  Atherton,  residing  at  Fair 
Oaks,  left  the  largest  and  rarest  collection  of  voy- 
ages on  this  coast,  numbering  about  fifteen  hun- 
dred volumes,  with  some  standard  authors. 

Charles  W.  Banks,  of  Oakland,  possesses  a 
small  but  valuable  library,  embracing  about  one 
hundred  and  fifty  volumes  of  natural  history,  chiefly 
in  microscopical,  botanical  and  histological  branches, 
including  several  of  the  oldest  books  on  the  micro- 
scopical science  extant,  viz.:  Power  on  the  Micro- 
scope, 1664;  Hooke's  Micrographie,  1665;  Lee- 
wennock's  Micrographical  Discoveries,  and  two 
editions  of  Waker,  of  1764  and  1769.  The  collec- 


COLLECTED    NOTES.  2 29 

tion  also  includes  a  complete  series  of  The 
Student  and  Intellectual  Observer,  in  seventeen 
volumes;  Phycologia  Britannica  (British  sea- weeds), 
by  Harvey,  illustrated  with  three  hundred  and 
sixty  plates,  colored  by  hand,  the  minute  structure 
of  each  species  being  beautifully  shown.  The  re- 
mainder are  principally  works  of  modern  standard 
authors,  with  a  curious  old  work  by  Dr.  Brown, 
published  in  1655,  known  as  Pseudographia  En- 
clopedia. 

Mr.  Henry  P.  Bowie,  President  of  the  Mercan- 
tile Library  Association,  has  a  collection  of  about 
two  thousand  volumes,  chiefly  composed  of  the 
choicest  editions  of  standard  works,  with  a  num- 
ber of  classical  and  art  works,  and  many  early 
printed  books.  Among  rare  books  is  Junius, 
editio  princeps,  three  volumes,  and  an  early  copy 
of  Cato  Verro,  published  about  1480.  Mr.  Bowie, 
well  known  as  an  amateur  violinist,  has  the  finest 
collection  of  works  relating  to  the  violin  to  be 
found  on  the  coast.  The  library  also  contains  the 
best  standard  works  of  reference,  with  a  number 
of  choice  French  and  German  works,  and  is  the 
collection  of  a  dilettante. 

James  W.  Brown,  of  San  Francisco,  has  a 
limited,  but  extremely  valuable  library,  consisting 
of  about  one  thousand  volumes,  with  a  number  of 
very  costly  illustrated  works.  Among  those  are 
Bartlett's  Pictorial  Works,  with  views  in  the 
United  States,  France,  Italy,  etc.;  Robert's  Egypt 


230  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

and  the  Holy  Land,  printed  in  colors,  six  elephant 
folio  volumes;  Rousselet's  India  and  its  Native 
Princes,  and  Shaw's  Dresses  and  Decorations, 
illuminated. 

Eugene  Casserly,  formerly  United  States  Senator, 
has  a  library  of  about  three  thousand  volumes,  se- 
lected with  great  taste  and  intelligence,  and  com- 
prising many  choice  editions. 

The  late  D.  D.  Colton  left  about  fifteen  hun- 
dred volumes,  very  general  in  character,  embrac- 
ing a  fine  selection  of  standard  authors.  The 
greatest  treasure  in  the  collection  is  probably  the 
edition  of  Dickens,  in  fifty-five  volumes,  with  all 
the  original  engravings  by  Cruikshank  and  Darley, 
on  india  paper,  and  mounted. 

Daniel  Cook  has  a  small  but  choice  collection 
of  best  editions  of  standard  works,  comprising  the 
Boydell  Shakespeare,  in  nine  folio  volumes;  the 
Boisure  Gallery,  ten  mastodon  folios,  Hume's 
edition,  containing  fine  copper-plates. 

The  collection  of  books  belonging-  to  Dr.  Ben- 

o       o 

jamin  D.  Dean,  consisting  of  about  one  thousand 
volumes,  contains  the  works  of  the  most  notable 
standard  English  authors  in  history,  science,  bio- 
graphy, travels,  and  romance.  In  the  two  former 
it  is  practically  complete,  and  constitutes  a  good 
library  for  reference,  study  and  recreation. 

Joseph  A.  Donohue,  now  absent  in  Europe,  has 
one  of  the  finest  libraries  in  California,  chiefly  con- 
sisting of  the  best  editions  of  best  authors,  nearly 


COLLECTED    NOTES.  23! 

all  elegantly  bound.  Most  notable  among  the 
books  is  Halliwell's  great  edition  of  Shakespeare, 
in  sixteen  volumes  folio,  with  the  variorum  notes, 
published  at  London,  1860-70,  printed  on  draw- 
ing paper,  the  type  being  made  for  the  work.  He 
also  has  the  Boydell  illustrations  of  Shakespeare, 
in  nine  volumes  folio,  with  the  text;  Mrs.  Jame- 
son's art  works,  six  small  quarto  volumes;  the 
best  edition  of  Dodsley's  Old  Plays,  in  twelve  vol- 
umes; the  Modern  Drama,  a  fine  set.  in  fourteen 
octavo  volumes;  the  Art  Journal,  complete,  and 
Froissart's  Chronicles,  illuminated. 

Captain  Eldridge  has  a  collection  of  about  one 
thousand  volumes,  mainly  consisting  of  travels  and 
voyages. 

Dr.  Geary,  of  San  Francisco,  has  a  miscel- 
laneous library  of  about  thirteen  hundred  volumes, 
which  he  terms  a  "Scholar's  Dictionary/'  com- 
prising nearly  all  the  Greek  and  Latin  classics,  and 
standard  English  literature,  carefully  selected. 
Among  choice  works  is  the  original  edition  of 
Matthew  Prior,  London,  1718;  the  original  edition 
of  Byron's  Sardanapalus,  London,  1821;  a  beauti- 
ful edition  of  Dryden's  Virgil,  London,  1806;  and 
Clarke's  Concordance  to  Shakespeare,  presented 
by  the  Duke  of  Manchester.  The  collection  also 
includes  several  fine  illustrated  works. 

Henry  George,  of  San   Francisco,  has  a  small 

'  library  of  about  one  thousand  volumes,  mostly  of 

standard  English   literature,   with  a  selection  on 


23*2  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

Political  Economy,  second  to  that  of  no  other  pri- 
vate library  in  the  State. 

The  small  collection  of  books  belonging  to 
Arpad  Haraszthy  is  notable  from  the  fact  that  Mr. 
Haraszthy  has  made  it  a  principle  never  to  buy  a 
book  that  he  could  obtain  in  a  public  library;  con- 
sequently, his  six  hundred  or  more  volumes  are 
composed  almost  exclusively  of  rare  and  out  of 
the  way  books,  with  some  fine  illustrated  works 
and  rare  works  of  French  authors;  were  these  not 
temporarily  packed  away  they  would  have  afforded 
some  interesting  bibliographical  notes. 

John  C.  Hall  is  the  possessor  of  a  few  hundred 
volumes  of  well-selected  standard  English  and 
German  literature.  Although  this  collection  is 
small,  a  cultivated  taste  is  shown  in  the  selection; 
and,  as  Mr.  Hall  is  a  young  man  and/a  book-lover, 
this  is  probably  the  nucleus  around  which  a  con- 
siderable library  will  some  day  be  formed. 

The  library  of  A.  S.  Hallidie,  consisting  of 
about  twenty-five  hundred  volumes,  is  lodged  in 
plain  redwood  cases  of  neat  design,  extending 
from  floor  to  ceiling  of  the  room  devoted  to  books. 
A  tasteful  Brussels  carpet  of  brown,  with  a  little 
dash  of  red  here  and  there,  covers  the  center  of 
the  floor,  which  is  finished  in  hardwood.  Leather- 
covered  furniture  and  a  large  desk  of  inlaid  black  ( 
walnut  complete  the  furniture  of  the  room.  Mr. 
Hallidie's  collection  is  particularly  complete  in 
scientific  and  engineering  works,  with  many  works 


COLLECTED    NOTES.  233 

rarely  seen  in  a  private  library.  He  has  a  full  set 
of  The  Patent  Repertory  from  1794  to  1862; 
Theatrum  Arithmetic©  Geometricum,  by  Jacob 
Leupold,  eight  folio  volumes,  published  at  Leipzig, 
in  1727;  many  sets  of  scientific  publications,  with 
dictionaries  of  science,  civil  engineering,  etc. 
Cours  de  Mathematiques,  printed  at  Paris,  in  i8i2,: 
is  an  excellent  work,  and  possesses  an  additional 
value  from  having  been  one  of  the  volumes  form- 
ing Napoleon's  library  at  St.  Helena. 

Among  a  number  of  rare  old  books  is  Toi 
Makariotatoi  Dionysioy,  from  the  Vatican  press  in 
1 608 ;  Caliud  Prohemium  Totius  Operis,  a  beauti- 
ful edition  on  vellum,  with  broad  margins,  clearest 
type  and  marginal  notes,  printed  during  the  pontif- 
icate of  Innocent  VIII.,  about  the  year  1484;  De 
Historia  Sterpium  Commentarii  Insignes,  Lugduni, 
1551;  Aur.  Theodosii  Macropi  Opera,  edited  by 
Arnold  Wilfeld,  Lugduni  Batavorum  ex  officina 
Plantiniana,  1597;  Levini  Lemnii  Medici  Zinzaei 
Occulta  Naturee  Miracula,  A.ntwerp,  1567;  Sulpici 
Severi  Presbyteri  Opera  Omnia,  with  commenta- 
ries by  George  Horn,  Lugduni,  1647;  Thesaurus 
Historiarum,  by  Matthias  Burgklehner,  Rome, 
1562;  A  Defence  of  the  Innocence  of  the  Three 
Ceremonies  of  the  Church  of  England,  the  Surplice, 
Crosse  after  Baptisme,  and  Kneeling  at  the  Receiv- 
ing of  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  second  edition,  Lon- 
don, 1619;  Perspective  Practical,  a  text  book  of 
art,  by  a  member  of  the  Society  of  Jesus,  a  Pari- 


234  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

sian,  containing  numerous  fine  copperplates;  Anglia 
Libera,  Jo.  Toland,  1701;  and  Whitby's  New  Tes- 
tament. In  addition  to  the  books  already  men- 
tioned, the  collection  comprises  many  Greek  and 
Latin  classics,  originals,  and  translations,  with 
some  rare  copies;  a  number  of  theological  works 
of  every  denomination,  many  old  and  rare;  and  a 
few  choice  law  books.  Among  the  latter  is  a  fine 
edition  of  Blackstone,  in  four  volumes,  formerly 
the  property  of  Lord  Grenville,  containing  his 
autographical  notes.  Among  miscellaneous  works 
are  full  sets  of  Notes  and  Queries,  the  Penny 
Cyclopaedia  and  London  Art  Journal,  The  Come- 
dies of  Calderon,  Owen  Jones'  Grammar  of  Orna- 
ment, and  Chapman  and  Hall's  Edition  of  Dickens, 
with  the  original  illustrations.  It  is  a  matter  of 
regret  that  knowledge  of  Mr.  Hallidie's  library 
reached  us  too  late  for  a  more  extended  notice. 

Notable  among  collections  made  with  system 
and  forethought  and  designed  for  practical  use,  is 
the  library  of  Dr.  C.  C.  Keeney,  of  San  Francisco, 
numbering  about  three  thousand  volumes.  This 
collection  cannot  be  said  to  have  a  specialty  of  any 
kind,  but  it  is  particularly  complete  in  history, 
poetry,  and  Greek  and  Latin  classics.  The  books 
are  very  systematically  arranged,  and,  being  finely 
bound,  present  a  handsome  appearance  upon  the 
shelves.  No  attention  has  been  paid  to  the  collec- 
tion of  rare  or  choice  editions,  but  a  few  have  crept 
in,  by  accident,  as  it  were.  Among  these  are  an 


COLLECTED    NOTES.  235 

edition  of  Moliere,  in  ten  small  volumes,  finely 
illustrated  by  Mignard,  the  original  text  and  an 
English  translation  being  given  on  opposite  pages, 
The  Scottish  Gael,  Musee  de  Naples,  and  a  copy 
of  the  Talmud,  in  five  folio  volumes,  published  in 
Leipzig,  in  1710. 

Reuben  H.  Lloyd,  the  well  known  and  popular 
lawyer,  has  at  his  office,  in  Nevada  Block,  a 
valuable  and  rare  collection  of  seven  or  eio-ht  hun- 

o 

dred  volumes,  among  which  is  a  copy  of  the  grand 
photographic  work  of  the  Queen's  Residence  in 
the  Highlands  of  Scotland,  at  Balmoral,  bound  in 
the  maple  wood  of  that  county;  Bell's  Pantheon, 
with  the  copper-plates;  the  Athenian  Letters,  two 
volumes  quarto,  and  many  other  rare  classical 
works.  Mr.  Lloyd  has  in  his  library  a  museum 
arranged  in  a  case  which  contains  some  rare  coins 
and  medals,  and  also  some  curious  broadsides  and 
manuscripts,  and  a  letter  of  General  Washington. 

Mr,  John  T.  McGeoghegan's  collection  of  one 
thousand  or  more  volumes  is  largely  composed  of 
novels,  probably  comprising  the  most  extensive 
and  best  selection  to  be  found  in  any  private  li- 
brary in  the  State.  The  remainder  of  his  books 
consist  of  works  of  reference  and  history,  with 
several  fine  art  works. 

J.  P.  Manrow's  library,  at  his  quaint  Elizabethian 
cottage  on  the  heights  of  Russian  Hill— a  house 
built  when  many  San  Francisco  millionaires  of  to- 
day were  living  in  tents — is  a  cozy  little  room  with 


236  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

windows  opening  into  a  glass  covered  veranda, 
with  hanging  baskets  and  stands  of  flowers.  The 
finish  of  the  room  and  cases  is  in  mahogany,  the 
design  corresponding  to  the  architecture  of  the 
house.  The  books,  numbering  about  six  hundred 
volumes,  consist  largely  of  scientific  and  historical 
works,  with  some  miscellaneous  literature,  and  a 
number  of  sets  of  periodicals. 

The  collection  belonging  to  Mrs.  C.  L.  Maynard, 
of  about  fifteen  hundred  volumes,  is  composed  of 
well-selected  general  literature,  history,  biography, 
romance,  poetry  and  the  drama,  with  some  excel- 
lent scientific  and  architectural  works,  all  in  hand- 
some bindings.  Among  books  worthy  of  note  are 
the  Memoirs  of  John  Howard,  by  James  Baldwin 
Brown,  original  edition  with  uncut  edges,  an  early 
copy  of  Pope's  Odyssey,  and  the  original  edition 
of  Dryden's  Virgil. 

The  books  belonging  to  A.  J.  Messing,  rabbi  of 
the  Congregation  Beth-Israel,  constitute  a  little 
more  than  one  thousand  volumes,  principally  works 
in  the  Hebrew  language,  theological,  historical, 
poetical  and  works  of  reference,  with  some  Greek 
and  Latin  classics,  the  so-called  German  classics, 
and  a  few  English  works.  Among  the  books  are 
eight  editions  of  the  Bible,  published  in  different 
countries,  at  different  times,  and  in  different  Ian- 
guages.  Dr.  Messing  has  a  collection  of  works  of 
the  greatest  authorities  on  Hebrew  law,  probably 
the  best  selection  to  be  found  on  the  coast,  and  a 


COLLECTED    NOTES.  237 

rare  collection  of  Midrashin.  Among-  other  rare 
works  is  the  Jewish  codex,  called  Turin,  in  eight 
volumes,  published  in  Berlin,  1764.;  the  best  edi- 
tion of  the  Talmud,  twelve  folio  volumes,  printed 
at  Vienna  in  1844;  an  older  edition  of  the  same  in 
twenty-four  volumes,  printed  in  1754;  two  rare 
and  desirable  editions  of  the  Mishna;  and  a  little 
book  of  a  curious  nature,  called  Kabalah,  meaning 
mystery,  a  treatise  on  the  so-called  mystic  sciences, 
published  in  Wilna,  Russia,  in  1616. 

Judge  R.  S.  Messick  has  a  collection  of  about 
two  thousand  volumes,  one  of  the  most  carefully 
selected  on  the  coast.  Among  choice  books  may 
be  enumerated:  The  Musee  Fra^ais,  four  volumes 
folio,  with  fine  impressions  of  the  plates;  a  mag- 
nificent set  of  the  one  hundred-guinea  edition  of 
Hume  &  Smollett's  History  of  England,  ten  vol- 
umes, folio,  with  the  grand  illustrations  in  copper- 
plate; a  complete  set  of  the  London  Art  Journal; 
large  paper  editions  of  Pope,  Milton,  Dryden,  Burke, 
Hume, etc.;  Knight's  illustrated  Shakespeare,  eight 
volumes  royal  octavo;  a  late  illustrated  English 
edition  of  Moliere,  six  octavo  volumes;  Bell's 
Pompeiana,  two  royal  octavo  volumes,  and  rare 
editions  of  Junius,  Wraxall,  etc. 

John  Mone,  of  San  Francisco,  has  a  small,  but 
fast  increasing  library,  now  numbering  about 
twelve  hundred  volumes,  scarcely  one  of  which 
does  not  possess  intrinsic  worth,  the  selection  hav- 
ing evidently  been  made  with  care  and  forethought. 


238  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

Among  the  choicest  works  may  be  noted  an  early 
edition  of  the  Dramatic  Works  of  Samuel  Foote; 
Merrie  England  in  the  Olden  Time,  illustrated  by 
John  Leech  and  Robert  Cruikshank;  Polymetis,  by 
James  Spence,  printed  in  London  in  1755,  with 
large  plates;  and  Scott's  Lady  of  the  Lake,  with 
original  photographs  of  scenes  described  in  the 
poem. 

Bernard  Moses,  Professor  of  History  in  the 
University  of  California,  possesses  a  library  of 
about  fifteen  hundred  volumes,  collected  while  he 
was  studying  in  Europe,  during  the  years  1870-74. 
A  feature  of  special  interest  is  a  collection  of  books 
on  Scandinavian  history  and  literature,  which  form 
a  considerable  portion  of  the  whole;  the  remainder 
relate  principally  to  history  and  political  economy. 

The  library  of  Mr.  Moss,  though  not  extensive, 
is  particularly  well  selected.  It  contains  many  rare 
English  and  French  historical  and  biographical 
works  and  diaries  of  the  best  editions,  generally 
well  bound  and  in  good  condition.  His  taste  in 
collecting  extends  to  works  of  art,  and  he  posses- 
ses many  elegant  books  of  engravings  and  illu- 
minated works;  such  as  Shaw's  Dresses  and 
Decorations  of  England  in  the  Middle  Ages, 
two  vols.,  imp.  8vo. ;  Costumes  Historique,  from 
Fouque,  410.,  morocco,  plates  colored  by  hand, 
London;  France  Illustrated,  by  Home,  steel  plate 
engravings;  D'Agincourt's  History  of  Art,  folio, 
London;  Racinet's  Polychromatic  Ornaments, 


COLLECTED    NOTES.  239 

folio,  with  illuminated  plates  in  gold  and  colors; 
also  some  fine  works  on  interior  decorations,  in 
colors;  and  some  rare  and  valuable  works  on 
natural  history.  The  library  contains,  in  all,  about 
one  thousand  volumes. 

Mr.  D.  J.  Murphy's  collection,  consisting  of 
about  one  thousand  volumes,  is  chiefly  composed 
of  the  works  of  standard  English  authors. 

Dr.  James  Murphy  has  a  collection  of  about 
fifteen  hundred  volumes;  the  most  salient  feature 
of  which  is  its  extent  in  ancient  and  modern  voyages 
and  travels.  It  contains,  among  others,  a  splendid 
set  of  the  Admiralty  editions  of  Capt.  Cook's 
three  voyages  to  the  Pacific  Ocean,  with  the  large 
folio  volume  of  copper  plates  and  maps;  Vancou- 
ver's Voyages,  three  volumes,  quarto;  Vennega's 
California,  two  volumes,  octavo,  very  rare,  London, 
1759;  and  Lewis  and  Clarke's  travels  to  the  Pacific 
Ocean,  in  the  year  1 804-6,  three  octavo  volumes. 

Charles  Page,  a  rising  young  lawyer  of  San 
Francisco,  has  about  six  hundred  volumes  of 
standard  English,  French  and  Spanish  works. 

Gilbert  Palache  has  a  small,  well-bound  collec- 
tion of  books,  specially  designed  for  home  use  and 
reference.  The  collection  is  very  general  in  its 
character,  including  most  of  the  standard  English 
authors  in  the  various  fields  of  history,  romance 
and  poetry. 

H.  A.  Palmer,  of  Oakland,  in  addition  to  a 
number  of  miscellaneous,  books,  has  a  small,  but 


240         .  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

very  complete  collection  of  works  relating  to  polit- 
ical economy  and  social  science,  making  one  of  the 
best  private  collections  on  those  subjects  in  the 
State. 

The  collection  of  books  belonging  to  George 
Frederick  Parsons,  of  the  Sacramento  Record- 
Union,  numbering  between  two  and  three  thousand 
volumes,  is  modestly  esteemed  by  the  owner  as  a 
simple  working  library.  Unprejudiced  judges, 
possessing  some  familiarity  with  its  contents,  pro- 
nounce it  one  of  the  choicest  and  most  intelligent 
selections  in  the  State.  No  particular  department 
predominates,  though  it  has  something  more  than 
usual  of  Asiatic  literature.  It  contains  some  black 
letter  specimens,  a  Juvenal  and  Persius  printed  at 
Florence,  in  1474,  several  infrequent  and  rather 
out  of  the  way  books  treating  of  the  occult  sciences 
and  kindred  topics;  and  a  fair  representation 
of  ancient  and  modern  history,  travels,  biography, 
memoirs,  essays,  poetry,  belles-lettres,  theology, 
with  a  number  of  works  of  what  the  orthodox  would 
call  free-thinking  or  infidel  literature.  Science  is 
not  neglected,  and  the  drama  is  remembered.  The 
collection  displays  plenty  of  good  bindings  and  some 
handsome  ones,  but  nothing  has  been  sacrificed  to 
outward  effect. 

J.  P.  Pierce,  of  Santa  Clara,  has  a  well-selected 
family  library,  of  something  more  than  one  thou- 
sand volumes,  miscellaneous  in  character  and  neatly 
bound. 


COLLECTED    NOTES.  24! 

Professor  Price,  of  San  Francisco,  the  well- 
known  assayer  and  scientist,  has  a  scientific  library, 
numbering  about  two  thousand  volumes. 

Willard  B.  Rising,  Professor  of  Chemistry,  in 
the  University  of  California,  has  gathered  together 
between  seven  and  eight  hundred  books,  comprising 
some  standard  works  of  reference  and  general 
literature,  but  mostly  composed  of  works  relating 
to  his  profession.  Among  these  are  several  that 
are  rarely  seen,  including  Liebig's  Annalen  der 
Chernie  und  Pharmacie,  one  hundred  and  ninety- 
three  volumes;  Jahresbericht  iiber  die  Fortschritt 
der  Chemie,  thirty  volumes  (1847-70);  Berzielius 
Jahresbericht  der  Chemie,  twenty-seven  volumes 
(1822-48);  Fresenius  Zeitschrift  fur  Analytische 
Chemie,  seventeen  volumes  (1862—78);  Berichte 
der  Deutsche  Chemische  Gesellschaft  zu  Berlin, 
nineteen  volumes  (1868-78);  and  many  standard 
text-books  on  chemistry. 

C.  P.  Robinson  has  a  small  but  well-selected 
library,  numbering  about  eight  hundred  volumes, 
consisting  mainly  of  complete  editions  of  standard 
English  authors,  all  fastidiously  bound  in  full  tree  or 
polished  calf  and  Russia.  The  most  notable  works 
in  the  collection  are  a  complete  set  of  the  original 
Abbotsford  edition  of  Scott  and  the  Aldine  edition 
of  the  British  Poets. 

John  H.  Saunders,  formerly  of  San  Francisco  but 
now  a  resident  of  San  Rafael,  has  a  very  rare  and 
choice  collection  of  a  thousand  volumes  of  the 


242  PRIVATE    LIBRARIES. 

best  works  of  the  best  English  authors,  including 
the  works  of  Dr.  Samuel  Johnson,  University 
Press  edition,  twelve  volumes  octavo,  a  full  set  of 
the  original  edition  of  the  elder  D' Israeli,  De 
Ouincy's  works,  Moore's  Sheridan,  the  illustrated 
and  best  editions  of  Scott,  Dickens,  etc.  This  col- 
lection has  been  made  with  great  care,  taste  and 
judgment. 

Dr.  Horatio  Stebbins,  Pastor  of  the  Geary- 
street  Unitarian  church  of  San  Francisco,  has  a 
library  of  about  twenty-five  hundred  volumes,  the 
most  prominent  feature  of  which  is  the  number  of 
foundation  books  of  history  and  philosophy,  with 
the  productions  of  the  ablest  writers  on  the  current 
discussions  of  the  day.  The  remainder  of  the 
books  are  miscellaneous  in  character  and  include 
standard  works  of  fiction  and  poetry. 

Dr.  J.  D.  Whitney  has  a  library  of  several 
thousand  volumes,  chiefly  composed  of  scientific 
and  philosophical  works. 


THE 


PUBLIC  LIBRARIES, 


STATE  LIBRARY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 

ONE  of  the  most  flourishing  institutions  in  the 
State,  and  of  which  Californians  are  justly  proud, 
is  the  State  Library  at  Sacramento,  a  collection 
numbering  upwards  of  forty-eight  thousand  vol- 
umes, and  receiving  large  accessions  every  year. 

Prior  to  1850,  there  seem  to  have  been  but  a 
few  scattering  books  belonging  to  the'State,  but  in 
that  year  an  Act  of  Legislature  directed  that  such 
books  should  be  collected  together  and  placed  in 
the  custody  of  the  Secretary  of  State,  who  should 
also  serve  as  State  Librarian.  This  Act  also  placed 
the  control  of  the  library  in  the  hands  of  a  Board 
of  Trustees,  composed  of  five  members,  elected 
by  the  Legislature.  Free  use  of  the  books  was 
given  to  members  of  the  Legislature  and  State 
officers,  but  a  stringent  clause,  still  in  force,  stipu- 
lates that  all  books  taken  by  the  former  shall  be 
returned  at  the  close  of  the  session;  and  that  before 
the  Controller  draws  a  warrant  for  the  last  week's 
salary  of  any  member  he  must  be  satisfied  that  all 


244  PUBLIC    LIBRARIES. 

books  drawn  from  the  library  have  been  returned, 
or,  if  lost  or  injured,  paid  for  to  the  amount  of  three 
times  their  value. 

About  the  year  1856,  a  collection  known  as  The 
Law  Library  of  San  Francisco,  composed  of  thirty- 
five  hundred  standard  law  books,  including-  some 
rare  statutes  and  reports,  belonging  to  Wm.  B. 
Olds,  was  acquired  by  purchase  for  about  $17,000. 

Various  changes  in  the  appointment  of  the  Board 
of  Trustees  took  place,  until  an  Act  of  Legislature, 
in  1866,  which  appears  to  have  been  the  last, 
specifies  that  the  Board  shall  be  composed  of  the 
Attorney-general,  and  four  members  elected  by 
Legislature,  holding  office  for  the  term  of  four 
years. 

The  library  has  been  built  up  out  of  the  funds 
derived  from  the  fees  paid  to  the  Secretary  of 
State,  and  from  the  system  of  exchanges  adopted 
in  pursuance  of  law.  About  thirty-two  thousand 
of  the  books  are  in  the  general  library,  and  sixteen 
thousand  or  more  in  the  law  library. 

Since  the  date  of  the  last  report,  1876-77,  nu- 
merous additions  have  been  made  to  the  library  in 
all  its  departments.  The  department  of  Reports 
in  the  law  library  is  complete  to  date.  It  contains 
full  sets  of  all  the  American  and  all  the  English, 
Scotch,  Irish  and  Canadian  Reports,  together  with 
the  Digests,  Statutes,  etc.  Many  additions  have 
been  made  to  the  collection  of  session  laws  of  the 
several  States.  In  addition  to  the  very  full  collec- 


STATE    LIBRARY    OF    CALIFORNIA.  245 

tion  of  Statute  Law  and  Reports,  there  is  a  large 
collection  of  Treatises,  embracing  all  the  standard 
authors  and  most  recent  editions.  It  comprises 
also  full  sets  of  all  the  leading  law  journals  and 
periodicals  of  England  and  America;  those  still 
in  publication  being  acquired  up  to  date.  There 
is  also  a  considerable  collection  of  works  on  Civil 
Law  and  on  French  and  Spanish  law,  including  Cor- 
pus Juris  Civilis,  Pandects,  etc.,  etc. 

In  political  science,  political  economy,  and  its 
kindred  subjects  of  finance,  banking,  commerce 
and  statistics,  are  represented  nearly  all  the  stan- 
dard authors,  from  Adam  Smith  to  President 
Woolsey,  including  such  writers  as  Ricardo,  Bas- 
tiat,  McCulloch,  Tooke  (with  a  complete  set  of 
Tooke's  History  of  Prices,  now  very  rare),  Francis, 
Colwell,  Price,  McLeod,  Walker,  Wells,  etc.,  and 
a  large  collection  of  books,  pamphlets,  newspapers 
and  periodicals  illustrative  of  political  history. 

The  controlling  purpose  of  the  managers  of  the 
library  has  always  been  to  make  a  collection  of 
such  books  as  would  best  assist  the  Legislature, 
State  officers,  and  Courts  to  an  intelligent  discharge 
of  their  duties;  and  to  accomplish  this  purpose 
they  have  sought  and  obtained  as  near  as  possible 
every  book  which  would  be  useful  to  the  states- 
man, legislator,  judge,  or  lawyer.  They  have 
made  considerable  advancement  in  the  collection 
of  a  general  library.  Fine  arts,  poetry,  belle-let- 
tres,  history,  ancient  and  modern,  local  and  foreign, 


246  PUBLIC    LIBRARIES. 

are  well  represented.  The  sciences,  too,  have  re- 
ceived attention,  arid  the  library  contains  many 
valuable  works  on  architecture,  while  the  subjects 
of  sanitary  engineering-  and  house-building  have 
been  remembered;  and  Latham,  Denton,  Bayles 
and  other  authors  are  to  be  found  on  the  shelves. 

The  Medical  Library  has  also  been  worked  up 
to  a  high  standard  of  excellency,  and  contains 
most  of  the  standard  authors  on  the  theory  and 
practice  of  medicine  in  general,  as  well  as  those  of 
specialists,  eminent  in  their  chosen  branches  of  the 
profession.  The  collection  in  this  department  in- 
cludes all  the  publications  of  the  Sydenham  Soci- 
ety and  the  principal  medical,  surgical  and  physio- 
logical journals  of  England  and  America,  Guy's 
Hospital  Reports,  Transactions  of  Medical  Socie- 
ties, etc.,  etc. 

The  department  of  magazines  is  well  supplied, 
and  contains  complete  sets  of  such  standard  maga- 
zines as  Dodsley's  Annual  Register,  The  Monthly 
Magazine,  Cornhill  Magazine,  Gentlemen's  Maga- 
zine, London  Quarterly,  Westminster  Review, 
Edinburgh  Review,  Fortnightly  Review,  Dublin 
University  Review,  Cotemporary  Review,  Nine- 
teenth Century,  Athenseum,  North  American  Re- 
view, Hunt's  Merchants'  Magazine  and  Financial 
Chronicle,  Galaxy,  Harper's,  Scribner's,  Atlantic, 
Nation,  and  many  others.  Besides  these  there  is 
a  large  collection  of  the  journals  and  transactions 
of  learned  societies,  such  as  the  Royal  Geograph- 


STATE    LIBRARY    OF    CALIFORNIA.  247 

ical  Society,  Royal  Agricultural  Societies  of  Eng- 
land and  of  India,  of  the  Society  of  Arts,  Philo- 
logical Society,  Society  of  Civil  Engineers,  the 
Institute  of  Civil  Engineers,  Society  for  the  Ad- 
vancement of  Science,  and  the  British  and  Amer- 
ican Societies  for  the  Advancement  of  Social 
Science.  Indeed  this  department  has  approached 
such  a  degree  of  excellence  as  to  require  only  the 
continuations  of  current  publications  to  make  it 
complete  in  the  future. 

The  dramatic  department  is  very  full  with  all  the 
great  editions  of  Shakespeare,  viz.:  Halliwell,  six- 
teen volumes,  folio;  Malone's -Variorum  edition; 
Valpey's;  Knight's;  and  Boydell's — the  last  in  ele- 
phant folio,  two  volumes — also  the  Pickering  edi- 
tion; a  photo-lithographic  fac-simile  of  the  folio  of 
of  1623,  and  a  complete  set  of  the  Shakespeare 
Society's  publications,  together  with  a  number  of 
other  works  on  Shakespeare,  in  all  about  two  hun- 
dred volumes.  In  addition  to  this  admirable  col- 
lection of  Shakespeare  publications,  most  of  the 
standard  dramatic  authors  are  represented,  besides 
the  following  collections:  Bell's  British  Theatre; 
Cumberland's  British  Theatre;  Inchbald's  British 
Theatre;,  modern  standard  drama;  minor  drama, 
and  many  others,  some  of  them  rare. 

In  the  department  of  biography  and  personal 
memoirs,  etc.,  the  library  is  rich,  the  number  of 
volumes  in  this  department  being  up  in  the  thou- 
sands. 


248  PUBLIC    LIBRARIES. 

In  lexicons,  cyclopedias,  etc.,  there  is  scarcely 
anything  to  be  desired.  The  works  of  all  the  best 
lexicographers  of  America,  England,  France,  Ger- 
many, and  indeed  of  all  the  languages,  including 
the  Chinese,  are  to  be  found  on  the  shelves,  while 
among  cyclopedias  are  to  be  found  all  the  English 
and  American,  and  also  the  French  cyclopedias. 
Among  the  late  valuable  works  added  are  Du 
Cange's  Glossarium  Mediae  et  Infirmae  Latinitatis, 
in  eight  volumes,  an  elegant  set,  and  Larousse's 
Grand  Dictionnaire  Universel,  fifteen  volumes, 
Paris,  1875. 

In  the  department  of  bibliography,  it  is  probably 
safe  to  say,  that  not  one  standard  work  of  impor- 
tance is  lacking;,  while  there  are  several  that  are 

o 

extremely  rare. 

In  fine  art  works,  engravings,  etc.,  the  library 
is  unusually  rich,  containing  many  hundreds  of 
choice  and  valuable  works.  Among  these  may  be 
named  Galeries  Historiques  de  Versailles,  sixteen 
volumes,  folio;  Musee  Fran9ais,  four  volumes,  folio; 
Musee  Pio  Clementino,  eight  volumes,  folio,  Rome, 
1772,  an  elegant  edition;  Pitti  Galerie,  four  vol- 
umes, folio;  Daniel's  Oriental  Scenery,  three  vol- 
umes, folio;  and  Animated  Nature,  two  volumes, 
folio;  Robert's  Sketches  of  the  Holy  Land;  Egypt. 
Nubea,  etc.,  three  volumes,  folio;  Silvestre's  Uni- 
versal Paleography,  translated  from  the  French 
and  edited  by  Sir  Frederic  Madden;  Ruskin's 
works,  large  edition;  La  Croix's  works,  complete, 


STATE  LIBRARY  OF  CALIFORNIA.       249 

best  edition;  Montfaucon's  Antiquities;  Kings- 
borough's  Mexican  Antiquities;  Hogarth's  works; 
Gillray's  Caricatures;  Turner  Gallery;  Chinese 
Gallery;  Lawrence  Gallery;  Vernet's  Gallery; 
Poussin's  Gallery;  The  Yellowstone  Park,  by 
Hayden  and  Moran;  all  of  Dore's  great  works, 
with  many  other  works  containing  illustrations  of 
scenery  and  costumes  in  various  countries,  engrav- 
ings of  ancient  sculpture  and  celebrated  paintings 
in  European  galleries.  It  also  comprises  many 
histories,  text-books  and  hand-books  of  art. 

The  library  contains  only  a  few  books  which 
are  prized  on  account  of  their  age  or  rarity. 
Among  these  are  a  Bible  printed  in  1501,  an  ele- 
gant specimen  of  early  printing;  Virgilii  Maronis 
Opera,  folio,  Venice,  1544;  Homeri  Odyssea, 
printed  in  Latin  and  Greek,  Cantabrigae,  1664; 
Ovid's  Metamorphoses,  Englished,  mythologized 
and  represented  in  figures,  by  George  Sandys, 
1640;  a  fine  copy  of  George  Sandys'  translation 
made  on  the  banks  of  the  James,  and  said  to  be 
the  first  translation  from  the  classics  ever  made  in 
America;  Sir  Thomas  More's  Commonwealth  of 
Utopia,  i6mo,  London,  1639;  Coke's  Institutes, 
revised  and  edited  by  the  author,  London,  1629, 
formerly  the  property  of  Gen.  William .  R.  Davie, 
Minister  Plenipotentiary  of  the  United  States  to 
France,  under  Washington's  Administration,  which 
was  obtained  from  the  library  of  the  late  William  H. 


250  PUBLIC    LIBRARIES. 

Rhodes  (Caxton);  and  Sir  William  Standford's  Les 
Plees  del  Coron,  London,  R.  Lottel,  1583. 

As  this  is  not  intended  for  a  circulating  library, 
romance  and  fiction  have  not  received  much  atten- 
tion, but  the  works  of  the  best  authors  in  that  line 
are  to  be-  found;  the  works  of  Fielding,  Smollet, 
Dickens,  Thackeray,  Bulwer,  Scott,  Cooper, 
George  Eliot,  De  Foe,  Lever,  Hawthorne,  and 
countless  others,*  all  being  upon  the  shelves. 

The  number  of  volumes  in  the  library  at  this 
time,  the  close  of  1878,  is  forty-eight  thousand, 
exclusive  of  duplicates,  and  many  pamphlets  un- 
numbered. 

The  present  officers  of  the  library  are  as  follows: 
John  W.  Armstrong,  Frederic  Cox,  Jo  Hamilton, 
F.  W.  Hatch,  E.  W.  Maslin,  Board  of  Trustees; 
Mr.  Armstrong  is  the  President  of  the  Board;  R. 
O.  Cravens,  Librarian;  Mrs.  Laura  Morton  and 
James  E.  Robinson,  Deputy  Librarians. 

The  trustees  serve  without  compensation.  The 
salary  of  the  librarian  is  three  thousand  dollars  per 
annum,  and  the  salary  of  each  deputy  eighteen 
hundred  dollars  per  annum. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 

WHEN  the  College  of  California,  an  institution 
whose  history  is  wrapt  in  partial  obscurity,  be- 
came merged  into  the  University  of  California, 
among  other  possessions  which  it  handed  over  to 
its  successor  was  a  college  library,  consisting  of 
one  thousand  and  thirty-six  volumes.  About  six 
hundred  of  these  books  were  a  gift  from  the  Rev. 
Levi  Hart  of  Plymouth,  Mass.;  a  complete  set  of 
the  American  Journal  of  Science  (1818-67),  were 
contributed  by  Mr.  Sherman  Day,  son  of  President 
Jeremiah  Day  of  Yale  College;  and  the  remainder 
of  the  collection  consisted  chiefly  of  donations 
made  by  members  of  the  Faculty  from  their  own 
private  libraries. 

Prior  to  April,  1871,  no  day-book  was  kept  in 
connection  with  the  University  Library,  but  a  con- 
siderable number  of  books  were  received  in  Oc- 
tober, 1870;  and  during  the  same  year  the  library 
of  Dr.  Alexander  S.  Taylor,  of  Santa  Barbara,  a 
collection  consisting  principally  of 'historical  works, 
numbering  about  eight  hundred  volumes,  was  pur- 
chased for  five  hundred  dollars.  President  A.  S. 
Hallidie,  in  the  name  of  the  Mechanics'  Institute  of 
San  Francisco,  donated  complete  sets  of  The  Civil 
Engineers'  and  Architects'  Journal,  and  of  the 
Quarterly  Reports  of  the  Geological  Society  of 
Great  Britain. 


252  PUBLIC    LIBRARIES. 

In  the  year  1871,  Mr.  Edmond  L.  Goold,  of  San 
Francisco,  made  a  valuable  donation  of  encyclo- 
paedias and  dictionaries,  the  preliminary  to  other 
generous  gifts.  Several  hundred  volumes  were 
also  purchased  during  the  year. 

In  the  following  year,  the  Hon.  J.  W.  Dwindle 
placed  in  £he  library  of  the  University,,  as  a  loan, 
a  portion  of  his  own  collection,  mostly  composed 
of  Latin  classics,  one  hundred  and  sixty  volumes 
in  all,  which  still  remain  there.  Mr.  A.  B.  Forbes, 
of  San  Francisco,  donated  about  sixty  volumes 
of  government  publications;  and  forty  volumes  of 
a  similar  character  were  presented  by  George  Tait, 
Esq.,  from  the  library  of  the  late  Rev.  J.  H.  Bray- 
ton.  The  Rev.  E.  W.  Oilman  also  donated  about 
thirty  volumes,  a  polyglot  collection  of  bibles  and 
testaments,  in  the  name  of  the  American  Bible 
Society.  Mr.  William  Oilman  Thompson  presented 
three  hundred  and  three  volumes  literary,  historical, 
and  biographical  in  character,  and  in  December  of 
this  year,  President  D.  C.  Oilman  gave  three  hun- 
dred and  twenty-five  volumes,  miscellaneous  in 
character.  Six  hundred  and  sixty-eight  volumes 
were  also  acquired  by  purchase. 

The  year  1873  is  memorable  in  the  history  of 
the  University  for  the  acquisition  of  the  library  of 
the  late  Dr.  Francis  Lieber  of  New  York,  consist- 
ing of  over  twenty-three  hundred  volumes,  and 
two"  thousand  pamphlets  biographical,  historical, 
political  and  miscellaneous,  the  gift  of  Michael 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA.  253 

Reese  of  San  Francisco.  The  Hon.  S.  F.  Butter- 
worth,  William  Sharon  and  James  Anthony  do- 
nated files  of  various  California  and  Eastern  news- 
papers, and  J.  Ross  Browne  and  the  Hon.  S.  J. 
Field  contributed  a  number  of  political  documents. 
From  anonymous  donors  about  fifty  volumes  and 
two  hundred  pamphlets  were  received,  and  one 
hundred  and  fifty  volumes  were  acquired  by  pur- 
chase. During  the  same  period  Mr.  Samuel  L. 
Theller,  of  San  Francisco,  contributed  ninety  vol- 
umes, including  some  rare  old  books.  Professor 

o 

Martin  Kellogg  gave  more  than  a  score  of  philo- 
logical works,  a  gift  which  he  has  supplemented 
with  later  contributions;  and  Col.  J.  C.  Woods,  of 
San  Francisco,  gave  ninety-four  volumes,  a  com- 
plete set  of  Parliamentary  history  and  debates. 

In  the  year  1874  was  received  the  collection 
bequeathed  to  the  University  by  the  late  F.  L.  A. 
Pioche,  consisting  chiefly  of  choice  editions  of 
works  in  modern  French  literature,  elegantly 
bound  and  numbering  upwards  of  fifteen  hundred 
volumes.  With  this  collection  also  came  the 
Pioche  gallery  of  paintings,  old,  rare  and  valuable. 
Professor  William  Ashburner  gave  a  handsomely 
bound  set  of  Annales  des  Mines,  in  seventy-nine 
volumes;  and  Mr.  C.  H.  Hawks,  of  New  York, 
gave  a  costly  set  of  the  Colonial  Records  of 
Plymouth  and  the  Massachusetts  Bay  Colonies. 

Mr.  Alexander  Agassiz,  in  the  year  1875,  sent 
such  works  of  his  father,  Professor  Louis  Agassiz, 


254  PUBLIC    LIBRARIES. 

as  were  not  in  the  library,  comprising  some  rare 
and  valuable  books.  Mrs.  and  Miss  Fourgeaud 
donated  the  professional  library  of  the  late  Dr. 
Victor  T.  Fourgeaud,  consisting  of  about  five 
hundred  and  thirty  standard  medical  works,  besides 
numerous  pamphlets.  The  class  of  '75  gave 
twenty-five  or  more  volumes  to  the  circulating 
library,  and  donations  of  Government  documents 
were  received  from  the  Hon.  John  S.  Hager. 

Leading  American  publishers  have  contributed 
generously  to  the  library;  members  of  the  Faculty 
have  made  constant  donations,  and  the  California 
Representatives  in  Congress  have  made  frequent 
additions.  For  other  valuable  gifts,  the  University 
is  indebted  to  the  California  Academy  of  Sciences, 
Professor  Joseph  Henry  .and  the  Smithsonian  In- 
stitute, Prof.  John  Eaton,  the  Hon.  Hamilton  Fish, 
the  Hon.  Columbus  Delano,  Brig.-Gen.  A.  A. 
Humphreys,  General  Albert  J.  Meyer,  Brig.-Gen. 
S.  V.  Benet,  Rear-Admiral  B.  F.  Sands,  F.  V. 
Hayden,  and  Geo.  M.  Wheeler,  of  the  U.  S.  Sur- 
vey of  the  Territories,  the  Hon.  Horace  Capron 
and  Peter  Donahue. 

Mr.  H.  D.  Bacon,  of  Oakland,  with  character- 
istic generosity,  has  recently  presented  to  the 
University  his  private  library,  consisting  of  about 
two  thousand  volumes  of  choice  editions  of  English 
standard  literature,  elegantly  bound.  In  addition 
he  has  given  his  art  gallery  and  twenty-five  thou- 
sand dollars,  to  be  used  toward  the  erection  of  a 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA.  255 

library  building.  Mr.  Alexander  Del  Mar  has  also 
tendered  his  collection  of  works  relating  to  the 
subject  of  political  economy,  numbering  about  two 
thousand  volumes. 

The  whole  number  of  books  now  contained  in 
the  collection  is  sixteen  thousand  three  hundred. 
The  library  of  the  University  is  a  pleasant  room  at 
the  north  end  of  the  brick  building,  well  lighted 
and  ventilated  and  pleasantly  fitted  up.  The  cases 
are  of  black  walnut,  of  tasteful  design,  and  set  at 
right  angles  to  the  windows,  so  that  a  good  light 
is  thrown  on  the  books.  The  latter  have  long  ago 
absorbed  all  possible  space,  and  the  later  and  most 
valuable  acquisitions  still  remain  packed.  At  each 
end  of  the  room  are  long  tables  on  which  are  ar- 
ranged the  leading  periodicals  of  the  day.  The 
library  is  further  adorned  by  bronze  busts  of  Homer, 
Hippocrates,  Socrates.  Solon  and  Franklin,  the 
work  of  M.  Barbedienne,  of  Paris,  presented  by 
Charles  Mayne,  Esq.,  of  San  Francisco.  To  this 
collection  a  bust  of  the  late  President,  Henry 
Durant,  has  been  added  by  the  Ladies'  Relief 
Society  of  Oakland.  Adjoining  this  room  is  a 
smaller  one,  designed  for  a  work-room  or  office,  in 
which  shelf-room  has  been  given  to  many  books. 
The  great  need  is  for  more  commodious  quarters, 
and  for  this  purpose  the  Board  of  Regents  has 
appropriated  twenty-five  thousand  dollars,  which, 
with  Mr.  Bacon's  donation,  ought  to  provide  an 
elegant,  spacious  and  commodious  building.  This 


256  PUBLIC    LIBRARIES. 

edifice  will  be  erected  in  the  college  quadrangle  on 
the  University  grounds. 

The  collection  of  books  is  largely  devoted  to 
solid  subjects,  with  a  few  choice  works  of  art, 
poetry  and  general  literature.  The  subjects  of 
philology,  science,  social  science,  history,  and  agri- 
culture are  well  represented,  and  the  collection  of 
classical  literature  is  very  full. 

A  large  part  of  the  library  consists  of  periodical 
literature  and  of  the  transactions,  etc.,  of  learned 
societies.  Exclusive  of  literary  and  critical  reviews 
and  illustrated  magazines,  it  contains  sets  of  the 
following  publications: 

In  philology:  Chaucer;  early  English  Text  So- 
ciety and  Shakespeare  Society  publications;  Ar- 
ber's  Reprints;  Journal  of  Philology;  American 
Philological  Association  Transactions;  American 
Oriental  Society's  Journal. 

In  general  science :  Academic  Fran^aise  — 
Memoires  et  Comptes  Rendus  les  travaux  de 
la  Academic  Fran9aise  des  Sciences  morales 
et  politiques ;  Proceedings  of  American  Asso- 
ciation for  Advancement  of  Science;  Transactions 
of  Royal  Societies  of  Edinburgh  and  London; 
Proceedings  of  the  California  Academy  of  Science; 
Smithsonian  Institute  Publications;  American  Jour- 
nal of  Science;  Nature;  Philosophical  Magazine. 

In  geology  and  mineralogy:  London  Geological 
Society  Journal;  Revue  de  Geologic;  Jahrbuch  fur 
Mineralogie,  etc.;  and  such  noble  works  as  D'Archi- 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA.  257 

t 

ac's  Progres  de  Geologic;  Barrande's  Systeme  Sil- 
urien  de  Boheme;  D'Orbigny's  Paleontologie, 
Goldfuss'  Petrafacta  German ica. 

In  chemistry:  Annales  de  Chimie;  PoggendorfFs 
Annalen,  Kolbe's  Journal;  London  Chemical  So- 
ciety Journal  and  Memoirs,  Chemical  News,  Bul- 
letin de  la  Societe  Chemique  de  Paris;  Liebig's 
Annalen ;  Wagner's  Technologische  Chemie  ; 
Staedel's  Reine  Chemie;  Jahresbericht  der  Agri- 
cultur-Chemie;  Gmelin's  Hand-book;  Bolley's 
Technologic;  and  Watt's  and  Muspratt's  diction- 
aries. 

In  mining  and  engineering:  Annales  des  Mines 
(1832  to  date);  American  Association  of  Mining 
Engineer's  Transactions;  Engineering  and  Mining 
Journal ;  Zeitschrift  der  Deutscher  Ingenieuren ; 
Civil- Ingenieur;  Civil  Engineers'  and  Architects' 
Journal;  Berg-und  Hutten-mannische  Zeitung. 

Also,  American  Journal  of  Mathematics;  Annals 
of  Harvard  Observatory;  Observations,  etc.. 
United  States  Naval  Observatory;  Bulletin  and 
Memoirs  of  Harvard  Museum  of  Comparative 
Zoology;  United  States  Coast  Survey  charts  and 
reports;  United  States  Lake  Survey  charts  and  re- 
ports; United  States  Army  Engineer  Department; 
War  and  Topographical  maps,  complete;  Pacific 
Railroad  Surveys;  and  Journal  of  Science. 

Among  other  works  of  importance,  or  otherwise 
deserving  mention,  are  Mantz's  Chefs  d'Oeuvre  de 
la  Peinture  Italienne;  Mangin'sles  Jardins;  Lacroix' 


258  PUBLIC    LIBRARIES. 

Moyen  Age;  Musee  Imperiale  du  Louvre;  Gailha-' 
baud's  Monuments,  anciens  et  modernes;  Mont- 
faucon's  Antiquites;  Firmin  Didot's  Galerie  des 
Peintures,  Nouveau  Testament,  and  his  exquisite 
32 mo.  edition,  of  1855,  of  Virgil,  Horace  and 
Anacreon  (four  tiny  volumes,  costing  thirty  dol- 
lars each);  Balzac's  Contes  Drolatiques,  illus- 
trated by  Dore;  Aine's  Herculaneum  et  Pompeii ; 
Humboldt  and  Bonpland's  Cordilleras;  Kings- 
borough's  Antiquities  of  Mexico;  Photographs  of 
the  Yellowstone  National  Park;  Ackerman's  His- 
tory of  the  University  of  Oxford,  with  numerous 
plates,  water  colored  by  hand;  Works  of  Hogarth; 
Gillray;  Humphrey's  Art  of  Printing;  Draining  of 
Lake  Fucino,  by  Prince  Torlonia;  Harisse:  Biblio- 
theca  Americana  Vetusta  (large  paper  edition); 
the  Teubner  edition  of  Greek  classics,  and  the 
Lemaire  edition  of  the  Latin,  with  early  editions 
from  the  presses  of  Aldus,  Elzevir,  Andrea,  Mavie, 
Stoer,  Nicolinus,  Mylius,  Jansson,  etc.;  the  Tas- 
soni-Muzio-Maratori  edition  of  Le  Rime  di  Pet- 
rarca,  and  Bosqui's  Vines  and  Vineyards  of  Cali- 
fornia, a  magnificent  work. 

The  collection  also  contains  a  few  bibliographical 
curiosities,  among  which  may  be  mentioned  a 
ms.  of  laws  relating  to  mines  and  mine  owners 
in  Peru,  1 757-67,  discovered  secreted  in  an  old 
shaft;  Paracelsus'  New  Light  of  Alchymy  and 
Chymical  dictionary,  1674;  one  hundred  and 
eighty-four  war  and  topographical  maps  of  France 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA.  259 

and  Belgium,  published  just  before  the  outbreak  of 
the  French  revolution  of  1789,  once  owned  and 
used  by  Joseph  Bonaparte,  King  of  Spain;  the  set 
presented  by  Joseph  Mailliard,  Esq.,  of  San  Rafael; 
Geistlicher  Schild,  edition  of  1647;  Rosarium  of 
1497;  Grebner's  Prediction  sur  Charles  II. ;  Dela- 
chambre  sur  la  lumiere  et  1'amour;  L'Enfant's  con- 
cile  de  Pise;  and  a  Japanese  work,  containing  one 
hundred  specimens  of  Japan  woods,  cross  and 
vertical  sections,  with  exceeding  delicacy  shown  in 
the  preparation  and  mounting,  and  so  arranged  that 
they  can  be  used  under  the  microscope. 

The  most  notable  features  of  this  library  have 
been  detailed  at  some  length,  partly  because  it  is 
in  intent  and  in  spirit  an  institution  for  the  benefit 
of  the  public,  its  stores  of  knowledge  always  cor- 
dially opened  to  any  student  or  scholar,  and  also 
because  it  is  a  most  remarkable  collection  for  a 
library  of  a  few  years'  growth.  Like  most  Cali- 
fornia institutions,  it  has  seen  hard  times — times 
when  its  existence  was  uncertain  and  precarious. 
This  era  it  has  now  left  behind.  The  yearly  ap- 
propriation of  two  thousand  dollars  from  the  Board 
of  Regents,  together  with  the  income  arising  from 
the  bequest  of  the  late  Michael  Reese,  place  it  on 
a  sound  basis,  and  it  can  take  no  more  steps  back- 
ward. Californians  do  not  do  things  by  halves, 
and  there  is  a  growing  disposition  among  men  of 
means  to  make  generous  gifts  for  educational  pur- 


26O  PUBLIC    LIBRARIES. 

poses.     Ten  years  from  now  this  will  undoubtedly 
be  a  magnificent  collection. 

The  librarian,  Mr.  J.  C.  Rowell,  is  a  young  man 
devoted  to  his  work,  courteous  and  obliging  in 
demeanor. 


THE  MERCANTILE  LIBRARY. 

FIRST  among  San  Francisco  libraries  in  age,  ex- 
tent and  importance,  should  be  noticed  the  Mer- 
cantile Library. 

The  first  successful  attempt  to  organize  a  mer- 
cantile library  association  in  San  Francisco  was 
made  at  a  meeting  held  on  the  evening  of  the 
twenty -second  of  December,  1852.  Repeated 
attempts  had  previously  been  made,  only  to  meet 
with  repeated  failures,  but  the  young  men  interest- 
ed in  the  scheme  were  not  to  be  discouraged.  At 

o 

this  meeting  considerable  public  enthusiasm  was 
manifested.  A  month  later  the  final  organization 
was  effected,  a  certificate  of  incorporation  adopted, 
and  officers  elected.  Mr.  David  S.  Turner  was 
the  first  President,  and  served  for  two  years.  A 
collection  of  fifteen  hundred  volumes  was  pur- 
chased, and  liberal  donations  increased  the  num- 
ber to  about  five  thousand  volumes  during  the  fol- 
lowing year. 

In  the  year  1863  it  was  re-incorporated  by  an 
Act  of  Legislature.  The  management  of  the 
Association  was  vested  in  a  Board  of  Trustees, 
consisting  of  President,  Vice-President,  Recording 
Secretary,  Corresponding  Secretary,  Treasurer, 
and  nine  trustees,  to  be  elected  annually;  no  mem- 
ber to  hold  the  office  of  President  or  Vice-Presi- 
deut  for  more  than  two  successive  years. 


262  PUBLIC    LIBRARIES. 

During  the  first  fifteen  years  of  its  existence 
the  library  occupied  contracted  and  inconvenient 
quarters  at  high  rentals.  In  1865  the  project  of 
procuring  a  lot  and  erecting  a  suitable  building 
assumed  a  tangible  form.  By  the  united  efforts  of 
the  trustees  the  sum  of  twenty  thousand  dollars 
was  secured  from  life  memberships  and  donations. 
With  this  sum;  increased  by  an  additional  appro- 
priation of  two  thousand  dollars  from  the  funds 
of  the  association,  a  lot  was  negotiated  for  on 
Bush  street,  between  Montgomery  and  Sansome. 
The  price  to  be  paid  was  fifty  thousand  dollars; 
the  entire  sum  available,  twenty-two  thousand 
dollars,  was  devoted  to  part  payment  of  the  cost 
of  the  lot,  and  a  loan  of  one  hundred  thousand 
dollars,  was  effected,  a  mortgage  upon  the  lot 
and  proposed  building  given  as  security.  After- 
wards additional  loans,  to  the  amount  of  one  hun- 
dred thousand  dollars  were  effected,  the  whole 
bearing  interest  at  one  per  cent,  per  month.  The 
building  was  completed  and  formally  dedicated  on 
the  eighteenth  of  June,  1868.  In  his  following 
report,  the  President  stated  the  indebtedness  of 
the  association  to  be  two  hundred  and  forty  thou- 
sand dollars. 

Dark  days  had  come  upon  the  institution.  Every 
effort  was  made  to  reduce  the  debt;  bonds  were 
issued  but  could  not  be  negotiated;  courses  of 
lectures  tried,  efforts  made  to  obtain  subscriptions, 
fairs  held,  but  the  effect  was  to  deplete  the  treas- 


THE    MERCANTILE    LIBRARY.  263 

ury  instead  of    replenishing  it.      To    quote    from 
President  Swain's  report: 

Thijs  matters  stood  at  the  commencement  of  1869.  The 
prospects  were  most  gloomy.  No  favoring  response  came  from 
any  quarter.  The  purpose  for  which  the  building  had  been 
erected  appeared  to  be  a  failure.  The  institution  was  on  the 
downward  road.  There  was  no  money  to  be  appropriated  to  the 
purchase  of  new  books.  It  was  impossible  even  to  obtain  a  sup- 
ply of  the  cheap  current  literature  of  the  day.  Booksellers  had 
already  large  unpaid  bills,  and  could  not  afford  to  trust  any 
longer.  The  expenses  were  increasing  with  the  increase  of  the 
debt.  No  helping  hand  was  extended  to  save  the  institution; 
appeals  to  the  public  pride,  public  duty,  public  necessity,  were 
fruitless.  The  French  Loan  Society,  failing  to  receive  their 
interest,  had  commenced  a  suit  of  foreclosure.  The  fate  of 
the  library  appeared  sealed.  With  any  other  Treasurer,*  it 
would  have  died  at  once.  The  trustees,  almost  disheartened, 
discouraged  and  disgusted,  met  night  after  night  for  consul- 
tation; but  they  were  like  meetings  of  physicians  over  an 
expiring  patient.  It  was  evident  the  patient  must  die.  If  a 
decent  burial  could  be  vouchsafed,  it  was  as  much  as  the  trustees 
would  dare  ask  of  an  enlightened  and  liberal  people.  But  at 
this  crisis,  just  as  the  hearts  of  the  trustees  were  most  faint  and 
weary,  temporary  relief  came  from  an  unexpected  quarter. 
Camilla  Urso,  to  whom  the  Association  is  under  a  multitude  of 
obligations,  proposed  a  grand  musical  festival,  from  which  a 
handsome  and  very  welcome  sum  was  realized. 

This  festival  netted  the  association  about  twenty 
thousand  dollars.  It  awakened  a  public  interest 
which  paved  the  way  for  the  success  of  a  scheme 
from  which  deliverance  came  at  last.  A  bill  was 
passed  by  the  Legislature,  which  became  a  law  in 
February,  1870,  authorizing  the  association  to  hold 

*William  C.  Ralston. 


264  PUBLIC    LIBRARIES. 

three  gift  concerts,  the  proceeds  to  be  devoted  to 
the  liquidation  of  the  debts  of  the  association.  The 
net  profit  from  this  source  was  three  hundred  and 
ten  thousand  and  one  hundred  and  twenty  dollars, 
from  which  the  entire  indebtedness  was  paid,  and 
twenty  thousand  dollars  turned  into  the  treasury. 

The  building  has  a  frontage  on  Bush  street  of 
sixty-eight  and  three-quarters  feet  and  a  depth  of 
one  hundred  and  thirty-seven  and  one  half  feet. 
It  is  three  stories  in  height,  with  basement  and 
attic.  The  design  of  the  front  elevation  is  in  the 
modern  Italian  style  of  architecture.  The  entrances 
are  three  in  number,  surmounted  by  arches,  in- 
troducing the  visitor  into  a  grand  central  entrance, 
twenty-six  by  sixty  feet,  with  a  broad  and  elegant 
central  staircase  leading  to  the  library  and  rooms 
above.  There  are  two  stores  on  the  ground  floor, 
while  in  the  basement  is  the  lecture-room,  fifty- 
eight  by  seventy-four  feet,  and  twenty-four  feet 
high,  with  supper-room,  ladies'  and  gentlemen's 
dressing-rooms  and  waiting-rooms  connected.  On 
the  first  floor  are  placed  the  library-room,  ladies' 
reading  -  room  and  parlor,  the  reference  -  room, 
trustees'  room,  and  what  was  formerly  used  for  the 
chess-room.  The  second  floor  contains  reading- 
rooms,  chess-room  and  store-room.  The  attic 
rooms  are  designed  for  offices,  artists,  studios,  etc. 

The  library-room  is  fifty-two  by  sixty-four  feet, 
occupying  the  entire  frontage  of  the  building  on 
the  first  floor,  with  two  entrances,  one  on  each 


THE    MERCANTILE    LIBRARY.  265 

side  of  the  hall.  An  air  of  comfort  and  elegance 
clings  to  the  room,  with  its  dark  brussels  carpet, 
black  walnut  tables  and  desks,  leather  upholstered 
chairs  and  sofas,  bronze  and  marble  busts  and 
elaborately  finished  cases  of  black  walnut.  Per- 
haps this  impression  is  heightened  by  the  "dim 
aristocratic  twilight"  which  pervades  the  room — 
the  only  feature  to  be  regretted.  The  books  are 
arranged  in  cases  on  the  eastern,  western  and 
northern  walls,  and  in  smaller  double-faced  cases 
standing  at  right  angles  to  the  windows.  The 
librarian's  desk,  placed  in  the  center  near  the  front, 
and  the  cases,  are  inclosed  by  a  railing,  the  public 
being  denied  access  to  the  books.  This  step  was 
found  necessary,  as  aside  from  the  losses  suffered 
through  dishonest  persons,  it  is  believed  that  three- 
fourths  of  the  wear  and  damage  the  books  sus- 
tain in  open  libraries,  arises  from  promiscuous 
handling. 

Directly  over  the  library-room,  and  of  similar 
dimensions,  is  the  reading-room,  where  files  of 
about  four  hundred  newspapers  and  magazines  are 
conveniently  arranged. 

The  terms  of  membership  to  the  association  are : 
Life  members,  one  hundred  dollars;  subscribers' 
initiation  fee,  two  dollars;  quarterly  dues,  three 
dollars. 

The  system  of  book  delivery  is  that  generally 
adopted  in  our  libraries.  An  octagonal  cylinder 
of  wood,  revolving  vertically  on  its  axis,  has  two 


266  PUBLIC    LIBRARIES. 

hundred  and  fifty  pigeon-holes  on  each  side. 
These  being  numbered  from  one  to  two  thousand, 
supply  the  places  of  pages  on  the  old  register  plan. 
A  hole  is  allotted  to  each  member,  in  which  are 
placed  small  cards  of  uniform  color,  bearing  the 
name,  address  and  number.  When  a  book  is 
given  out  a  similar  card,  of  different  color,  is  used, 
upon  which  are  placed  the  letter,  indicating  the 
class  to  which  the  book  belongs,  the  title  and  num- 
ber of  hole.  Upon  the  return,  the  card  is  taken 
from  the  hole,  and  dropped  into  a  drawer,  where 
it  remains  to  furnish  statistical  data. 

The  books  are  classified  upon  the  shelves  with 
regard  to  their  character,  an  numerical  arrange- 
in  nt  by  accession  being  observed  in  each  depart- 
ment. A  catalogue  has  been  issued  within  a  com- 
paratively recent  date,  notable  for  the  pains-taking 
care  displayed  in  its  preparation. 

The  library  contains  a  fine  collection  in  all  de- 
partments, with  an  unusual  number  of  costly  works 
on  archaeology,  architecture,  painting,  natural  his- 
tory and  works  of  reference. 

It  would  take  up  too  much  space  to  name,  indi- 
vidually, the  many  treasures  of  literature  it  pos- 
sesses. Among  important  works  of  reference, 
however  (a  department  containing  about  two  thou- 
sand volumes),  may  be  noted:  Malte — Brim's 
Universal  Geography,  Philadelphia,  1827-32,  six 
vols.,  Svo;  Penny  Cyclopaedia,  London,  1833-43 
twenty-seven vols.,  quarto;  Calepinus'  Dictionarivm 


THE    MERCANTILE    LIBRARY.  267 

Linguae  Latinae,  Lugduni.  1565,  folio;  Alcedos Geo- 
graphical and  Historical  Dictionary  of  America  and 
the  West  Indies,  London,  1812,  five  vols.,  quar- 
to; Pauly;  Real-Encyclopaedic,  six  vols.  in  eight; 
Passow's  Griechisches  Handworter-buch,  Leipzig, 
1841-57,  three  vols.,  quarto;  Suidae  Lexicon,  two 
vols.;  Arnault's  Biographic  Nouvelle  des  Contemp- 
orains,  Paris,  1820-25,  twenty  vols.,  8vo;  Moreri: 
Grand  Dictionnaire  Historique,  Paris,  1759,  ten 
vols.,  folio;  Bescherelle:  Dictionnaire  National  de 
Langue  Fran9aise,  Paris,  1858,  two  vols.,  quarto; 
Conversations-lexikon,  Leipzig,  1864—8,  sixteen 
vols.,  8vo;  Grimm  Bro.'s  Worter-buch,  vols.  1-8; 
Dictionnarie  de  1' Academic  Francaise,  Paris,  1823, 
three  vols.,  quarto;  Littre:  Dictionnaire  de  la 
Langue  Fran9aise,  Paris,  1863-72,  four  vols., 
quarto;  Querard:  France  Litteraire,  Paris,  1828, 
twelve  vols.,  8vo;  Brunet:  Manuel  de  Libraire, 
fourth  edition,  five  vols.,  8vo,  and  fifth  edition,  six 
vols.,  8vo;  Encyclopaedia  Britannica,  eighth  edition, 
twenty-two  vols.,  quarto;  Tolhausen  et  Gardissal: 
Technologisches  Worter-buch,  Paris,  1854-5,  three 
vols.,  i6mo;  Allibone's  Dictionary  of  Authors, 
three  vols. .quarto;  Rose's  Biographical  Dictionary, 
London,  1851,  twelve  vols.,  8vo;  Lieber's  Encyclo- 
paedia Americana;  Philadelphia,  1848;  fourteen 
vols.,  Svo;  Nicholson:  British  Encyclopaedia, 
London,  1809,  six  vols.,  Svo;  Rees*  Cyclopaedia, 
Philadelphia,  1820,  forty-eight  vols.,  quarto;  Heck: 
Iconographic  Encyclopaedia,  six  vols.,  quarto; 


268  PUBLIC    LIBRARIES. 

Bayle's  Dictionary,  London,  1734,  four  vols., 
quarto;  and  Knight's  English  Cyclopaedia,  London, 
1854-72,  twenty-six  vols.,  quarto. 

Among  art  works,  in  choice  editions,  are  the 
Dresden  Gallery;  Konig  Ludwig's  Album;  Munich 
Gallery;  Boiseree  Gallery;  Turner  Gallery;  Musee 
Fran^ais;  Musee  Royal;  Arundel  Society  Publica- 
tions; Thompson's  China;  Campbell's  Vitruvius 
Britannicus;  Ferguson's  Rock-cut  Temples  of  India; 
Stuart  and  Revett's  Antiquities  of  Athens;  Boy- 
dell's  Shakespeare;  Robert's  Holy  Land,  and  Egypt 
and  Nubia;  Piranessi's  Opere  d' Archettitura;  Etch- 
ing Club  Publications;  Audubon's  Birds  of  America; 
Niccolini's  Monumenti  di  Pompeii;  Botta's  Monu- 
ment de  Ninive;  Owen  Jones'  Grammar  of  Orna- 
ment, and  Alhambra;  Gould's  Birds  of  Europe, 
Birds  of  Australia,  and  Humming  Birds;  Gillray's 
Works;  Hogarth's  Works;  Kingsborough's  An- 
tiquities of  Mexico;  Wilkes' Exploring  Expedition; 
Russel's  Naval  Architecture,  and  many  others. 

Alfred  E.  Whitaker  is  the  Librarian;  L.  B. 
Wetherbee  and  Gustavus  Schwarzmann,  Jr.,  As- 
sistants. 

Like  our  other  libraries,  the  Mercantile  pays  a 
heavy  annual  tax  upon  its  property,  in  accordance 
with  a  peculiar  California  law,  which  has  its  counter- 
part in  one  requiring  booksellers  to  take  out  licenses 
as  if  they  were  dangerous  institutions,  like  hack- 
drivers,  saloons  and  mad  dogs. 


THE  MECHANICS'    INSTITUTE. 

LIBRARIES,  like  members  of  the  human  race, 
have  each  an  individuality,  in  some  respects  differ- 
ing from  each  other  and  exerting  a  positive  influ- 
ence in  a  special  manner.  Of  course,  as  among 
men,  all  have  the  same  general  characteristics,  yet 
in  detail,  in  the  particular  sphere  and  place  filled  by 
each  in  the  earth's  history,  they  stand  alone  and 
separate. 

The  Mechanics'  Institute  Library  of  San  Fran- 
cisco occupies  a  position  peculiar  to  itself,  and  one 
that  all  the  others  combined  would  not  fill. 

The  early  history  of  this  institution,  like  that  of 
our  other  libraries,  is  one  of  struggle  and  discour- 
agement. On  December  iith,  1854,  in  the  City 
Tax-collector's  office  was  held  the  first  meeting 
in  regard  to  the  formation  of  the  Mechanics'  Insti- 

O 

tute.  The  great  need  of  a  library  and  its  acces- 
sories, by  the  mechanics  of  the  city,  was  discussed, 
and  those  present  pledged  themselves  to  do  all  in 
their  power  to  attain  that  object.  Geo.  K.  Gluyas, 
B.  F.  Haywood,  R.  Matheson,  J.  S.  Williams,  E. 
T.  Steen  and  Henry  E.  Carleton.  were  appointed 
a  committee  to  draft  a  Constitution  and  By-Laws. 
Reports  of  the  proceedings  were  published  in 
the  leading  city  papers,  which  have,  from  that  time 
to  this,  aided  and  encouraged  the  Association  in  all 
its  undertakings.  During  the  month  of  January, 


2/O  PUBLIC    LIBRARIES. 

ten  thousand  dollars  in  stock,  at  twenty-five  dol- 
lars per  share,  was  subscribed,  but  it  would  appear 
that  it  was  much  easier  to  get  signatures  than 
money,  for  a  month  later  only  three  hundred  and 
forty-seven  dollars  and  fifty  cents  had  been  col- 
ected.  On  March  6th,  a  constitution  and  by-laws 
were  adopted.  The  object  of  the  Association,  as 
set  forth,  was:  "The  establishment  of  a  library, 
reading-room,  the  collection  of  a  cabinet,  scientific 
apparatus,  works  of  art, .  and  other  literary  and 
scientific  purposes." 

On  March  29th,  the  first  election  was  held,  B. 
F.  Heywood  being  elected  President.  From  that 
time  to  the  present,  there  have  been  thirteen  Presi- 
dents, whose  names,  terms  of  office  and  order  are 
as  follows:  B.  F.  Heywood,  one  year;  Roderick 
Matheson,  one  year;  John  Sims,  two  years;  George 
Cofran,  one  year;  Thomas  Tennant,  one  year; 
John  P.  Buckley,  one  year;  Benj.  H.  Freeman, 
one  year;  Joseph  Britton,  two  years;  Charles  M. 
Plum,  one  year;  H.  J.  Booth,  one  year;  George 
K.  Gluyas,  one  year;  A.  S.  Hallidie,  ten  years; 
Irving  M.  Scott,  present  incumbent. 

The  room  of  the  Institute  at  this  time  was  in  the 
fourth  story  of  the  building  on  the  corner  of  Mont- 
gomery and  California  streets,  which  soon  proved 
inadequate,  and  one  more  suitable  was  obtained  on 
California  street  near  Sansome.  A  second  move 
was  soon  found  necessary,  and  the  second  story  of 
a  building  on  Montgomery  street,  near  Pine,  was 


THE    MECHANICS     INSTITUTE.  271 

fitted  up  and  occupied  June  i2th,  1858,  which,  for 
a  time,  answered  every  purpose. 

The  first  books  were  received  from  S.  C.  Bug- 
bee,  April  5,  1855,  and  consisted  of  a  copy  of  the 
Bible,  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States,  Ency- 
clopaedia of  Architecture,  and  Curtis  on  Convey- 
ancing. Subsequently,  the  first  two  were  stolen, 
a  circumstance  which  would  seem  to  indicate  that 
the  desire  for  religion  and  constitutional  law  was 
much  greater  at  that  day  than  it  is  at  this.  Miss 
Sarah  P.  Warren  has  the  honor  of  presenting  the 
first  book  received  from  a  lady.  Most  of  the 
books  received  at  the  commencement  consisted  of 
public  documents  donated  by  our  representatives 
at  Washington,  which,  as  a  general  thing,  are  not 
very  interesting  reading. 

Every  effort  was  made  to  increase  the  member- 
ship, and  from  a  circular  issued  at  that  day,  we 
quote  the  following: 

To  those  who  have  experienced  the  value  of  such  institutions, 
it  can  scarcely  be  deemed  necessary  to  argue  its  general  useful- 
ness. But  to  mechanics  of  San  Francisco,  who  are  here  from 
every  State  of  the  Union  and  from  most  of  the  European  States, 
widely  separated  from  influences  of  home,  with  but  few  places 
of  innocent  amusement  open  to  them,  such  an  association  is 
almost  a  necessity. 

Like  many  other  enterprises  of  a  similar  nature 
its  advancement  and  final  success  has  been  gained 
only  by  continued  and  persistent  efforts  of  its. 
officers  and  friends.  At  the  beginning  of  the  year 


272  PUBLIC    LIBRARIES. 

1863,  its  prospects  were  gloomy  indeed.  The 
total  income  was  but  two  hundred  and  seventy- 
five  dollars  per  month,  and  expenses  were  at  least 
three  hundred  dollars.  An  advantageous  offer  of 
a  lot  and  building  on  California  street,  where  the 
Alia  California  is  now  published  (afterwards  sold 
by  the  Institute),  caused  an  extra  effort  to  raise 
funds  to  be  made,  and  three  thousand  dollars,  the 
amount  of  the  first'  payment  was  secured.  That 
seemed  to  be  the  turning  point  of  the  tide,  and 
from  that  day  to  this  its  prosperity  has  steadily 
increased. 

The  present  premises  on  Post  street  were  pur- 
chased in  1866.  The  Institute  building  has  a  front- 
age of  seventy-five  feet  by  a  depth  of  one  hundred 
feet.  On  the  ground  floor  are  two  well-lighted 
stores,  with  dry,  well-lighted  basement-rooms  of 
the  same  size  beneath.  The  first  floor  contains 
the  general  library,  reference  and  patent-rooms, 
and  ladies'  reading-room,  and  on  the  second  floor 
is  located  the  reading-room  and  chess-room. 

The  library  hours  are  from  9  A.  M.  to  10  P.  M. 
The  library  is  also  open  on  Sunday  for  reading 
and  reference.  The  terms  are:  Life  membership, 
fifty  dollars;  terms  of  subscription  :  entrance  fee, 
one  dollar;  quarterly  dues,  one  dollar  and  fifty 
cents. 

Aside  from  its  influence  and  benefit  as  a  library, 
there  are  but  few  associations  in  the  Eastern 
States,  and  none  on  this  coast,  that  have  done  so 


THE    MECHANICS     INSTITUTE.  273 

much  to  develop  and  foster  progress  in  the  indus- 
trial arts.  We  refer  to  the  thirteen  industrial  ex- 
hibitions that  have  been  given  under  its  auspices, 
and  whose  success  has  been  due  to  the  energy  and 
wisdom  of  the  directors  of  the  Institute. 

The  estimated  value  of  the  lot  and  building  on 
Post  street  is  one  hundred  and  thirty-five  thousand 
dollars;  of  the  books  and  fixtures,  forty-eight  thou- 
sand dollars;  of  the  Mechanics'  Pavilion,  twenty- 
five  thousand  dollars,  making  a  total  of  two  hun- 
dred and  eight  thousand  dollars,  with  a  liability  of 
only  seventeen  thousand  dollars.  The  member- 
ship numbers  about  seventeen  hundred. 

The  rooms  are  well  lighted,  neatly  and  comfort- 
ably fitted  up,  the  books  in  the  circulating  library 
all  being  accessible  to  members,  and  a  homelike 
air  pervades  the  whole. 

The  library  is  especially  complete  in  works  of 
reference  of  a  scientific  character.  Among  these 

o 

are  the  Scientific  American,  1856  to  date;  the 
Artisan;  the  Engineer,  1856  to  date;  the  Iron 
Age,  full  set;  the  Mining  and  Scientific  Press,  full 
set;  Railroad  Journal;  Journal  of  Gas  Lighting; 
The  Builder,  1846  to  date;  Civil  Engineer  and  Ar- 
chitects' Journal;  North  of  England  Institution  of 
Mining  Engineers;  Practical  Mechanics'  Journal, 
1846  to  date;  Revue  des  Beaux  Mondes,  twenty- 
nine  volumes;  Institution  of  Civil  Engineers,  1837 
to  date;  Telegraphic  Journal;  Transactions  of  the 
Institution  of  Naval  Architects,  ten  volumes;  Bom- 


274  PUBLIC    LIBRARIES. 

bay  Magnetical  Observations,  eleven  volumes ; 
Deutsche  Rundschau,  thirteen  volumes;  Micro- 
scopical Journal;  Journal  of  the  Franklin  Institute, 
complete;  Dingler's  Polytechniches  Journal,  1824 
to  date;  Annalen  der  Physik,  1824  to  date;  Jour- 
nal of  the  British  Association,  fifty  volumes;  Jour- 
nal of  the  Chemical  Society,  London;  Magazine  of 
Botany,  sixteen  volumes;  Transactions  of  the  Lin- 
naean  Society,  thirty  volumes;  Transactions  of  the 
London  Paleontographical  Society,  thirty-two  vol- 
umes; Van  Nostrand's  Magazine,  complete;  An- 
nales  de  Chimie,  i  798  to  date,  two  hundred  vol- 
umes; Annales  des  Fonts  et  Chausee,  one  hundred 
and  twenty-seven  volumes;  Philosophical  Trans- 
actions of  the  Royal  Society  of  London,  1665  to 
date,  one  hundred  and  seventy-eight  volumes 
(quite  rare);  a  Series  of  Abstracts  of  the  most  noted 
papers  of  the  latter  society,  twenty-five  volumes, 
and  an  index  in  six  volumes  of  the  scientific  papers 
published  by  the  same;  Popular  Science  Monthly, 
to  date;  Chemical  News,  1860  to  date;  Transac- 
tions of  the  Zoological  Society  of  London;  Journal 
of  the  Royal  Agricultural  Society  of  England,  1 839 
to  date;  Botanical  Magazine,  with  colored  plates, 
fifty  volumes,  very  rare;  Hand-book  of  the  South 
Kensington  Museum;  Mechanics'  Magazine,  1823 
to  date;  Repertory  of  Arts  and  Patent  Inventions, 
1823  to  1863,  one  hundred  and  thirty-four  vol- 
umes; Annual  of  Scientific  Discovery;  Year-book 
of  Facts,  1847  to  date;  Annual  Record  of  Science 


THE    MECHANICS     INSTITUTE.  275 

and  Industry;  American  Almanack,  1830  to  date; 
Wiesbach's  Mechanics ;  Descriptive  Sociology, 
Herbert  Spencer;  and  two  hundred  and  fifty-three 
volumes  in  the  Russian  language  on  agriculture, 
arts  and  sciences. 

The  library  also  contains  a  splendid  collection  of 
patent  reports,  the  finest  on  the  coast,  comprising: 
A  complete  set  of  the  American  Patent  Reports, 
with  indexes;  a  complete  set  of  the  British  Patent 
Reports  from  1617  to  date,  in  uniform  morocco 
binding,  the  drawings  on  cloth,  enlarged  size,  in 
separate  volumes;  also,  abridged  specifications  and 
indexes  of  the  same,  the  whole  amounting  to  three 
thousand  and  fifty  volumes,  presented  by  the 
British  Government. 

There  are  also  fine  collections  of  medical  works, 
works  of  general  reference,  dictionaries  and  ency- 
clopaedias of  arts  and  sciences,  maps  and  atlases, 
with  an  especially  fine  selection  of  illustrated 
architectural  and  engineering  works.  It  also  in- 
cludes complete  sets  of  many  leading  newspapers 
and  magazines,  nicely  bound. 

Among  fine  illustrated  works  may  be  enumer- 
ated: Winckleman's  History  of  Ancient  Art  and 
Costumes  of  the  Ancients;  The  Harvard  Book, 
two  volumes;  Gazette  Archselogique;  Art  Journal 
to  date;  Britton's  Architectural  Antiquities;  Ga- 
zette des  Beaux  Arts;  Industrial  Arts  of  the  Nine- 
teenth Century,  by  Digby  Wyatt;  Monographic 
du  Palais  de  Fontainebleau;  Edifices  of  Rome; 


276  PUBLIC    LIBRARIES. 

Audubon's  Quadrupeds  of  North  America;  Audu- 
bon's  Birds  of  America,  folio  edition;  Boydell's 
Shakespeare  (first  edition);  the  Works  of  Hogarth 
(original);  The  Arabian  Antiquities  of  Spain,  by 
J.  Cavanaugh  Murphy;  Vienna  Exhibition;  Palais 
et  Chateaux  de  France;  Terra  Cotta  Architecture; 
etc.,  etc. 

The  reference  room  also  contains  a  copy  of  the 
Domesday  Book,  Playfair's  Chronicles,  and  many 
books  interesting  to  the  bibliophile,  with  a  com- 
plete set  of  the  English  Poets,  The  Spectator, 
Notes  and  Queries,  etc. 

The  books  so  far  enumerated  form  only  a  small 
portion  of  the  reference  library.  The  remainder 
includes  well-selected  and  valuable  works  in  every 
department  of  science,  especially  naval  architecture, 
mining  and  metallurgy,  natural  history,  applied 
mechanics  and  hydraulics.  The  total  number  of 
books  in  this  department  is  about  10,000. 

The  circulating  portion  of  the  library  contains 
about  18,000  volumes;  divided  as  follows:  Prose, 
fiction  and  juvenile,  8500;  travels,  1200;  belles- 
lettres,  1200;  biography,  1600;  science,  2000; 
history,  900;  religion,  400;  poetry  and  drama, 
iioo;  French  and  German,  1100. 

The  reading-room  is  commodious,  well-lighted, 
and  supplied  with  all  the  principal  newspapers  and 
periodicals  of  the  day. 

The  present  Librarian  is  Horace  Wilson.  As- 
sistant Librarians:  A.  M.  Jellison  and  J.  S.  Harville. 


ODD-FELLOWS'  LIBRARY. 

THE  Odd-Fellows'  library,  of  San  Francisco,  is 
the  result  of  the  wisdom  and  foresight  of  a  few  in- 

*-j 

telligent  men,  whose  privilege  it  was  to  lay  the 
corner-stone  of  Odd-Fellowship  on  the  then  dis- 
tant shores  of  the  Pacific  slope.  Their  Eastern 
culture,  combined  with  their  practical  sagacity,  led 
them  to  recognize  as  one  of  the  cardinal  principles 
of  their  beloved  Order,  the  care  of  the  minds  of 
those  intrusted  to  their  guardianship;  and  the 
marked  prosperity  of  the  Order  which  they  served, 
and  of  the  literary  institution  which  they  founded, 
have  abundantly  justified  their  judgment. 

The  library  was  organized  December  30,  1854. 
At  the  beginning  it  consisted  of  such  voluntary 
contributions  of  books  as  its  friends  had  brought 
with  them  in  their  hegira  to  this  coast,  and  it  was, 
of  course,  very  heterogeneous,  and  imperfect  in 
character.  Moreover,  its  funds  were  excessively 
limited;  but  such  was  the  enthusiasm  of  its  orig- 
inators; so  great  the  vitality  they  infused  into  the 
movement;  so  intelligent  their  purchases,  that, 
aided  by  the  invaluable  donations  of  an  occasional 
scholarly  contributor,  the  small  seed  dropped  into 
the  ground  has,  by  degrees,  developed  into  a  large, 
sound,  shapely  and  fruitful  tree — an  honor  to  the 
Order  which  has  created  it,  a  blessing  to  the 

o 

families  who  enjoy  its  privileges,  an  ornament  to 
the  community  in  which  it  thrives. 


2/8  PUBLIC    LIBRARIES. 

The  general  classification  of  the  books  is  made 
in  the  following  order,  which  very  well  answers 
the  purposes  of  shelf-arrangement :  Atlases;  belles- 
lettres;  biography,  letters  and  speeches;  classics; 
congressional,  state,  municipal  and  law  reports; 
games  and  sports;  geography  and  history;  novels; 
Odd  -  Fellowship;  periodicals  and  newspapers, 
bound;  poetry  and  drama; — reference:  dictionaries, 
cyclopedias,  catalogues,  directories,  etc.;  science, 
art,  philosophy;  patent-office  reports;  social  and 
political  science;  theology;  voyages  and  travels. 

The  standard  works  of  all  these  departments, 
from  the  standpoint  of  an  American  library,  are 
pretty  fully  represented.  Deficiencies  are  con- 
stantly supplied,  and  current  issues  steadily  main- 
tained. 

The  library  has  seldom  sought  for  rare  editions 
for  their  own  sake;  for  its  means  have  never  per- 
mitted it  to  lose  sight  of  the  interest  of  its  mem- 
bers, and  ''editiones  rarae  et  curiosce"  seldom  con- 
tribute to  this  end.  Bibliomania,  pure  and  unde- 
filed,  has  luckily  never  invaded  our  domain. 

And  yet  in  the  course  of  years  it  has  happened 
that  in  one  way  or  another,  the  current  of  litera- 
ture that  has  flowed  uninterruptedly  into  this  in- 
stitution has  borne  upon  its  bosom,  partly  from 
chance,  partly  from  the  generosity  of  friends,  partly 
from  the  very  needs  of  the  library,  and  the  exist- 
ence of  original  editions  only,  many  old,  curious, 
and  perhaps  rare  volumes. 


ODD-FELLOWS     LIBRARY.  279 

Premising  that  this  collection  is  about  the  same 
in  character  as  that  of  any  American  library  of  like 
proportions,  we  will  proceed  to  mention  some  of 
the  most  noteworthy  books  in  several  of  its  depart- 
ments. 

In  voyages  and  'travels:  The  collection  of  the 
celebrated  voyagers  and  discoverers  of  the  seven- 
teenth and  eighteenth  centuries  is  very  full.  There 
is  a  fine  Hakluyt,  London,  1598-1600,  three  vols., 
in  two-folio — with  the  Voyage  to  Cadiz — A. 
Churchill,  London,,  1704-32,  six  volumes,  folio; 
Dalrymple,  London,  1770,  two  vols.,  quarto; 
Burney,  London,  1803,  four  volumes,  quarto; 
Hawkesworth,  London,  1785,  four  vols.,  quarto; 
Harris,  London,  1705,  two  vols.,  folio;  another 
copy,  1744-48;  Pinkerton,  London,  1808-14 
seventeen  vols.,  quarto;  Navarette,  Madrid,  five 
vols.  8vo.,  1858.  Then  come  the  single  voy- 
ages or  travels  of  many  others,  who,  in  all 
parts  of  the  world,  exhibited  a  genuine  heroism, 
and  whose  spirit,  fortified  by  the  arms  and  equip- 
ment of  modern  science,  survives  in  such  men  as 
Cameron  and  Stanley,  our  .latest  additions.  The 
mention  of  a  copy  of  Woodes  Rogers,  London, 
1712,  8vo,  and  of  La  Hontan,  Amsterdam,  1705, 
two  vols.,  i2mo,  completes  our  brief  survey  of  this- 
department. 

In  history  we  find:  Zarate's  (Carate)  Hist  del 
Peru,  Anvers,  1555,  iSmo;  Garcilasso  cle  la  Vega 
Hist  del  Peru,  Cordova,  1617,  quarto;  Royal  Com- 


2  SO  PUBLIC    LIBRARIES. 

mentary  of  Peru,  by  same  author,  London,  1688; 
Res  Brasilia  per  C.  Barleum,  Clivis,  i65o,  iSmo; 
De  Solis,  Mexico,  Barcelona,  1691,  quarto;  Bernal 
Diaz,  Nueva  Espana,  Madrid,  1632,  folio;  Ogilby's 
America,  London,  1671.  folio;  Raleigh's  Historic, 
London,  1652,  folio,  with  Ross'  Continuation; 
Herrera,  Madrid,  1726-30,  five  vols.,  folio;  Munoz, 
Madrid,  1793;  Clavigero,  London,  1797;  Ixtlilx- 
ochitl,  Paris,  1840.  Of  later  periods:  Picart's 
Ceremonies  and  Customs,  London,  1731-36; 
Council  of  Trent,  Italian  by  Polano,  English  by 
Brent,  London,  1676,  folio;  Baker's  Chron.  Lon- 
don, 1665,  folio;  Dugdale's  Monasticon  Angli- 
canum,  London,  1655-1723,  six  vols.,  folio;  Bur- 
net's  Own  Times,  London,  1724-34,  two  vols., 
folio.  In  American  History,  and  of  the  United 
States  of  the  Union,  we  will  only  mention  Doug- 
lass' North  America,  Boston,  1749;  Colden's  Can- 
ada, London,  1747,  Svo;  Backus'  New  England, 
Boston,  1777;  Hutchinson's  Massachusetts,  Salem, 
1795,  two  vols.,  8vo;  Neal's  New  England,  Lon- 
don, 1720,  two  vols.,  Svo;  Trumbull's  Connecticut, 
Hartford,  1797,  Svo. 

In  biography:  Howell's  Lewis  XIII  (and  Riche- 
lieu); Sanderson's  Life  and  Raigne  of  King 
Charles,  London,  1658,  folio,  containing  a  fine 
portrait,  of  which  Mr.  T.  Herbert  says  in  a  letter  to 
Sir  W.  Dugdale:  "It  is,  in  my  judgment,  the  best 
portrait  I  have  seen  cut  in  copper  of  our  late 
King."  Darcie's  Empresse  Elizabeth,  Invincible 


ODD-FELLOWS'  LIBRARY.  281 

Queene  of  England,  translated  out  of  the  French, 
London,  1625,  quarto;  La  Vida  y  Fray  Junipero 
Serra  por  F.  Palou,  Mexico,  1787,  quarto,  a  volume 
which  is  becoming  exceedingly  rare,  it  taking  sev- 
eral years  to  fill  the  order  for  this  copy  in  London, 
which  is  quoted  by  Quaritch  at  an  enhanced  price. 
This  is  a  very  important  historic  work  in  connec- 
tion with  early  Spanish  missions  on  this  coast. 

The  library  contains  many  dictionaries,  a  num- 
ber of  which  are  obsolete.  There  is  a  copy  of 
Stephen's  Thesaurus,  1572,  folio,  five  vols.;  and 
another  of  1734;  of  Blount's  Glossographia,  Lon- 
don, 1681,  8vo,  of  Bayle,  London,  ]  734,  ten  vols., 
folio;  of  Moreri,  Paris,  1699,  folio;  of  Hoffman, 
Lugduni  Batavorum,  1 698,  four  vols.,  folio.  There  is 
a  Scapula,  1604,  folio;  an  English-Dutch  and 
Dutch- English  Dictionary,  by  W.  Sewel,  Amster- 
dam, 1707,  quarto;  a  Johnson,  London,  1755,  two 
vols.,  folio,  the  original  edition,  a  fine  copy. 

Among  the  limited  catalogue  of  ancient  classics 
are  a  set  of  Valpy's  Delphin  Classics,  London,  one 
hundred  and  sixty-one  volumes,  8vo;  Teubner's 
Greek  classics,  Leipzig,  one  hundred  and  thirteen 
volumes,  I2mo;  an  Aulus  Gellius,  Brixia,  1485, 
folio;  Poetae  Graeci  Veteres;  Coloniae  Allobro- 
gum,  1614,  folio;  Lucan's  Pharsalia;  Hugonis 
Grotii  Notae.  et  Thomae  Farnabii,  Amsterodam, 
1665,  24mo,  a  beautiful  edition  in  parchment  bind- 
ing, not  mentioned  in  any  accessible  bibliography ; 


282  PUBLIC    LIBRARIES. 

the  same  work   Englished,  by  Thos.  May,  Esq., 
London,  1631,  i2mo. 

The  library  has  always  paid  particular  attention 
to  works  pertaining  to  California  and  the  northern 
Pacific  coast,  and  a  large  part  of  the  works  on  this 
subject  are  in  its  possession.  No  bibliography  re- 
lating thereto  would  be  complete  which  did  not 
include  many  volumes  already  mentioned,  such  as 
Herrera,  De  Solis,  etc.  Besides  these  may  be 
noticed  Gomara,  1826;  Torquemada,  Madrid,  1723, 
three  volumes,  folio;  Venegas,  Madrid,  1757 
(Spanish);  London,  1759  (English);  Cortez,  Nueva 
Espana  por  Antonio  Lorenzana,  Mexico,  1770- 
This  is  the  Lorenzana  who  says;  ''It  is  doubtful  if 
the  country  of  New  Spain  does  not  border  on 
Tartary  and  Greenland,  by  the  way  of  California 
on  the  former,  and  by  New  Mexico  on  the  latter." 
Also,  D' Auteroche's  Voyage  to  California,  Lon- 
don, 1778,  Svo;  Begert's  Nachrichten  von  Cali- 
fornien,  Mannheim,  1773,  i6rno;  Relacion  del 
Viage  Hecho  por  las  Goletas  Sutil  y  Mexicana, 
en  1792,  with  an  historical  preface  by  Nava- 
rette,  Madrid,  1802,  Svo,  ''  which,"  says  Taylor,* 
"is  one  of  the  most  valuable  works  on  the  Alta 
California  of  the  Spaniards  of  1800."  Woodes 
Rogers  (already  mentioned),  this  author  remarks: 
''It  is  not  yet  certainly  known  whether  it  be  an 
island  or  join  the  Continent.  The  Dutch  say 
they  formerly  took  a  Spanish  vessel  in  those 
seas,  which  had  sailed  round  California,  and  found 

*  Alex.  S.  Taylor,  the  accomplished  bibliographer  of  Santa  Barbara. 


ODD-FELLOWS'  LIBRARY.  283 

it  to  be  an  island.  But  this  account  cannot  be  de- 
pended on,  and  I  choose  to  believe  it  joins  to  the 
Continent." 

In  addition  to  these  and  many  others  of  the 
earlier  works,  the  library  contains  the  long  list  of 
the  journals,  etc.,  of  those  modern  travelers,  whom 
curiosity  or  greed,  or  the  search  for  health,  have 
brought  to  this  coast  during  the  last  forty  years, 
from  the  realism  of  the  "Two  Years  before  the 
Mast,"  past  the  gushing  Todd,  and  the  credulous 
Mrs.  Leslie,  to  the  poetic  prose  of  Taylor's  "Be- 
tween the  Gates." 

The  library  secures  all  the  literature  of  Odd- 
Fellowship,  and  binds  into  permanent  form  the 
proceedings  of  all  the  Grand  Lodges  of  the  Order, 
its  collection  on  this  subject  being  almost  unique. 

This  notice  will  be  concluded  with  the  mention 
of  a  few  miscellaneous  works. 

But  two  editions  of  the  scriptures  require  atten- 
tion: The  Bible,  imprinted  at  London,  by  Robert 
Barker,  1606,  4to.  This  edition  is  known  as  the 
"  Breeches  Bible,' '  from  the  translation  of  Genesis 
iii:  7,  and  the  New  Testament  of  Jesus  Christ, 
Rhemes,  1582,  8vo.  There  is  a  curious  old  vol- 
ume entitled,  "Sermones  Socci  de  Tempore  Aes- 
tivali,  imprinted  in  Daventria,  per  R.  Pafford, 
folio,  1480."  This  work  is  valuable  as  a  speci- 
men of  early  printing,  ''  being  one  of  the  first 
printed  by  the  greatest  early  printer  of  the  low 
countries,  who  only  began  to  work  in  1477." 


284  PUBLIC    LIBRARIES. 

Theatrum  Terrae  Sanctae  et  Biblicarum  Historia- 
rum,  auctore  Christiano  Adrichomio,  Delpho  Col- 
oniae  Agrippinae,  1593,  folio;  Calvin's  Institutes, 
Genoa,  1590,  folio;  an  Aristotle.  Graece  et  Latine, 
Isaac  Casaubon,  Lugduni,  1590,  folio;  Selden's 
Mare  Clausum.  London,  1636;  Hesperides,  Rome, 
1646,  folio,  by  John  Baptiste  Ferrari;  Sidney's 
Pembroke's  Arcadia,  London,  1637,  folio.  ""Ninth 
time  published;"  Cornelius  Wytfliet's  Descriptions 
Plotemaicae  Augmentum,  Lovanii,  1597,  folio, 
bound  in  embossed  skin,  fine  condition.  This  is  a 
noteworthy  work  in  connection  with  California 
history,  it  being  the  oldest  book  published  that 
relates  to  that  subject.  It  contains  twenty  maps, 
of  which  two  are  of  California,  the  line  of  its  coast 
running  due  east  and  west. 

Intro,  in  Chyromantiam,  etc.,  Autore  Joanne 
Indagine,  Steynheim,  1522,  i6mo,  very  rare  and 
curious,  with  many  interesting  wood-cuts;  Anato- 
my of  Human  Bodies,  with  one  hundred  and 
thirty-nine  figures  curiously  cut  in  copper,  Latin, 
London,  folio,  1694;  Catrou  and  Rouille's  Roman 
History,  done  into  English,  1728-37,  six  vols., 
folio;  Kenelm  Digby's  Two  Treatises  on  the  Na- 
ture of  Bodies  and  of  Man's  Soule,  London,  1665, 
quarto;  Aeneas  Sylvius  Epistolre,  folio,  probably 
printed  in  1477;  Parallela  Geographia  Veteris  et 
Novae,  Auctore  Philippo  Brietio,  Parisiis,  1648, 
two  vols.,  quarto;  Pope's  Iliad,  London,  1715-20, 
six  vols.,  quarto,  original  edition;  Claudii  Ptole- 


ODD- FELLOWS'  LIBRARY.  285 

maei  Geographies,  Enarrationis;  Libri  Octo 
Bilibaldo  Pirckeymhero  Interprete;  Argentoragi, 
Johannes  Grieningerus,  folio,  1525,  fifty  wood-cut 
maps — Quaritch  says  (cat.  1877):  ''The  Bodleian 
Library  possesses  only  an  imperfect  copy  of  this 
edition,  and  there  is  none  at  all  in  the  Grenville 
Library.  The  maps  are  the  same  as  those  in 
the  edition  of  1522.  The  last  sheet  is  the  famous 
map  signed  by  L.  F.  (Laurentius  Frisius),  dated 
1522,  and  entitled  'Or bis  Typus  Universalis] 
which  bears  the  name  America.  This  map  is  not 
a  new  one,  but  simply  a  reproduction  of  one  in  the 
Ptolemy  of  1513,  with  the  name  America  added." 

In  bringing  this  account  to  a  close  it  is  but  just 
to  say  that  it  was  impossible,  with  the  limited 
space  at  our  disposal,  to  mention  all  the  works  de- 
serving notice.  But  this  is  our  consolation:  by  the 
student  it  is  not  needed;  and  to  those  who  requires 
it,  the  treasures  of  the  library  are  alway  open. 

Connected  with  the  library  is  a  reading-room, 
supplied  with  the  leading  periodicals  of  the  day, 
free  of  access  to  subscribers  and  members  of  the 
Order. 

The  number  of  volumes  now  in  the  entire  col- 
lection is  nearly  thirty-five  thousand;  last  ^annual 
circulation,  one  hundred  and  four  thousand  and  ten. 

George  A.  Carnes  is  Librarian;  A.  H.  Grayson, 
Assistant  Librarian. 


THE  LAW  LIBRARY. 

So  Leolin  went ;  and  as  we  task  ourselves 
To  learn  a  language  known  but  smatteringly, 
In  phrases  here  and  there  at  random,  toil'd 
Mastering  the  lawless  science  of  our  law, 
That  codeless  myriad  of  precedent, 
That  wilderness  of  single  instances, 
Thro'  which  a  few,  by  wit  or  fortune  led, 
May  beat  a  pathway  out  to  wealth  and  fame. 

THE  Law  Library  of  San  Francisco  was  first 
organized  in  the  year  1865,  but  was  a  feeble  and 
unprogressive  institution  until  1870,  when  an  Act 
of  Legislature  put  it  on  a  solid  footing.  This  Act 
places  the  control  of  the  library  in  the  hands  of  a 
board  of  trustees,  composed  of  the  mayor  of  San 
Francisco,  the  judges  of  the  several  district  courts 
in  that  city  and  county,  and  seven  other  trustees 
to  be  elected  by  the  shareholders  from  time  to 
time.  The  price  of  shares  is  fixed  at  one  hundred 
dollars,  and  any  person  not  a  shareholder  is  en- 
titled to  enjoy  the  privileges  of  the  library  by  pay- 
ing a  fee  of  two  dollars  and  fifty  cents  a  month, 
due  annually  or  semi-annually,  in  advance.  Each 
litigant  plaintiff,  in  filing  a  complaint  in  any  of  the 
district  courts  of  San  Francisco,  pays  a  docket-tax 
of  one  dollar  towards  the  support  of  the  library, 
which  is,  of  course,  supplied  by  the  State  with  all 
California  statutes  and  public  documents. 

The  present  location  is  a  spacious  room  in  Mont- 


THE    LAW    LIBRARY.  287 

gomery  block,  formerly  a  fashionable  billiard 
saloon,  with  a  row  of  windows  on  the  north  and 
south  sides.  On  the  east  and  west  walls  hang 
several  large  portraits  of  famous  legal  lights.  The 
floor  is  covered  with  a  Brussels  carpet  of  suitable 
pattern,  and  desks,  tables,  and  chairs,  are  conveni- 
ently ranged  about.  The  book-cases  are  of  black 
walnut,  double-faced,  and  placed  at  right  angles  to 
the  windows.  The  general  appearance  of  the 
books  is  characterized  by  the  underdone  pie- crust 
look  peculiar  to  the  bindings  of  American  law 
books  (though  some  volumes  appear  as  if  they  had 
staid  too  long  in  the  oven).  The  rent  and  attend- 
ants are  paid  by  the  city  and  county. 

The  library  contains  about  eighteen  thousand 
volumes,  and  is  steadily  increasing,  though  now 
surpassed  in  extent  by  but  one  other  law  library 
in  the  United  States  (aside  from  the  government 
library  at  Washington).  The  selection  has  been 
most  painstaking  and  intelligent,  and  the  collection 
is  very  perfect  in  all  the  various  departments  em- 
braced, the  aim  being  to  secure  complete  sets  of 
every  series  of  law  publications,  as  well  as  the 
latest  and  most  perfect  editions.  It  contains  com- 
plete sets  of  all  the  law  Reports  of  all  the  Amer- 
ican, English,  Irish,  Scotch,  Canadian,  New  Zea- 
land, and  some  of  the  other  Colonies,  courts,  with 
all  the  ordinary  text-books  and  standard  legal  au- 
thors in  various  languages,  and  includes  about  as 
good  a  collection  of  Criminal  Trials  as  will  any- 


288  PUBLIC    LIBRARIES. 

where  be  found.  There  are  complete  sets  of  the 
original  Session  Laws  of  many  of  the  older  States, 
and  among  the  statutes  are  a  number  of  early  date, 
of  which  few  other  copies  exist,  some  of  which  are 
not  to  be  found  in  the  libraries  of  the  State  from 
which  they  emanated.  Among  these  may  be 
noted  The  Acts  and  Laws  of  His  Majesty's  Colony 
of  Connecticut,  1715  and  1750;  Laws  of  North 
Carolina,  1715;  Laws  of  Maryland,  1799;  and 
Acts  of  the  First  Session  of  the  Legislative  Coun- 
cil of  the  Territory  of  Orleans,  1805. 

There  are  also  the  Acts  of  the  Confederate  Con- 
gress and  State  Legislatures,  passed  during  the 
rebellion;  Hawaiian  Statutes  and  Reports,  a  good 
collection  of  Congressional  Reports,  French  and 
Spanish  Laws,  the  latter  being  in  frequent  demand. 

As  necessary  accessories  to  the  law  department, 
we  find  a  very  full  collection  of  English  Parlia- 
mentary and  American  Congressional  History,  and 
a  number  of  current  legal  publications. 

The  trustees,  realizing  that  a  lawyer  must  be 
versed  in  other  things  besides  law,  have  provided 
a  good  supply  of  miscellaneous  books,  and  works 
of  general  reference.  Among  the  latter  are  full 
sets  of  leading  encyclopaedias,  dictionaries  and  ency- 
clopaedias of  art,  science  and  literature,  and  diction- 
aries in  about  thirty  different  languages.  In  addi- 
tion to  these,  the  library  contains  historical  and 
biographical  works,  speeches  of  leading  American 
and  British  statesmen,  essays  on  political  economy, 


.THE    LAW    I.1UKAKY.  289 

finance,  etc.,  documents  relating  to  the.  early  and 
colonial  history  of  the  United  States,  including 
California  and  the  Pacific  coast. 

Collected  by  chance,  as  it  were,  a  number  of  old 
and  rare  books  have  found  their  way  into  the 
library.  Some  contain  curious  inscriptions,  difficult 
to  decipher;  others,  autographs  of  famous  men, 
long  since  dead  and  gone.  A  copy  of  Justinian's 
Institutes,  printed  at  Venice,  in  1478,  retains  its 
old  parchment  cover,  with  heavy  ornaments  of 
brass;  several  of  the  pages  are  slightly  mutilated, 
and  a  Latin  inscription  states  that  it  is  from  the 
library  of  the  St.  Augustine  Monks,  Freiburg, 
Germany,  1623,  and  was  despoiled  in  the  time  of 
the  Heretics.  A  Register  of  Forms,  printed  in 
1538,  and  Jus  Maritimus,  1667,  are  both  books 
rarely  seen  and  excellently  preserved. 

The  library  also  embraces  a  full  set  of  Le  Moni- 
teur  Universal,  1790-1837;  files  of  leading  Cali- 
fornia newspapers,  and  full  sets  of  leading  maga- 
zines and  periodicals. 


THE  ART   ASSOCIATION. 

No  especial  attention  has,  we  believe,  been  paid 
by  the  Association  to  the  gathering  of  books.  The 
novelty  of  the  field  to  be  occupied  by  artistic 
enterprise,  and  the  many  calls  for  expenditure  in 
other  and  perhaps  more  pressing  needs,  in  view  ot 
the  infancy  of  the  study  in  this  State,  have  made 
the  hoarding  of  art-literature  a  secondary  interest. 

But  still  the  friends  of  the  establishment  have 
not  been  altogether  idle  even  in  the  matter  of 
books,  as  the  collection,  of  say  from  twenty-five 
hundred  to  three  thousand  volumes,  attests.  These 
are  in  the  main  of  a  very  expensive  character 
— huge  folios,  collections  of  prints,  elaborately 
illustrated  works — each  one  of  which  seems  to 
have  something  about  it  to  make  it  prized  as  a 
work  of  one  kind  of  art,  independent  of  its  object 
in  literature. 

The  Association  has,  for  convenience  of  refer- 
ence, attached  a  catalogue  of  its  books  to  its  latest 
publication.  From  among  the  names  put  down, 
we  gather:  Vasari,  Spooner,  Owen  Jones,  Taine, 
Lacroix,  Bryan,  Burty,  Liibke,  Crowe,  Caval- 
caselle,  Allan  Cunningham,  Eastlake,  Paderni 
Pompeo,  Gavarni,  Kugler,  Waagen,  Winckelmann, 
Wornum,  Chevreul,  Hogarth,  Visconte,  Knight, 
King,  Flaxman,  Lodge,  Niessen,  Penley,  Reynolds, 
Scott,  Westmacott,  Viardot,  Wey,  Wrench,  Bas- 


THE    ART    ASSOCIATION.  29! 

soli,  Otis,  Fuseli,  Kellerhaven,  and  others  treating 
directly  or  incidentally  of  art,  their  works  strength- 
ened by  a  wealth  of  illustration,  making  each  book 
a  gem  of  bibliography. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  select  a  number  limited 
enough  for  this  article  of  the  titles  in  the  catalogue. 

Architecture,  series  of  executed  examples  of 
ecclesiastical  and  domestic  structures,  from  designs 
of  modern  architects,  folio,  London,  Atchley  & 
Co.,  1858;  Byzantine,  examples  of  edifices  in  the 
East  during  earliest  Christianity,  folio,  Charles 
Texier,  London,  1864;  Appiani,  Andrea:  Pastes 
de  Napoleon  I.,  folio,  Paris;  Art  in  the  Middle 
Ages,  Paul  Lacroix,  New  York,  1870;  Bible  Cuts, 
Hans  Holbein;  Flemish  Painters — Painting  in  Italy 
— Crowe  and  Cavalcaselle,  octavo.  London,  John 
Murray,  1864;  Ercolano,  Depinti  Musaici  ed 
altri  Monumenti,  rinvenute  negli  Scari,  Paderno 
Pompeo;  Galerie  des  Peintres  les  plus  celebres, 
Firmin  Didot  Freres,  folio,  Paris,  1844-5;  Works 
of  Hogarth,  in  folio;  Kugler's  Handbooks  of 
Painting;  Liibke's  History  of  Art;  Vasari's  Lives 
of  Painters;  Knight's  Vases  and  Ornaments; 
Visconti's  Iconographie  Grecque  and  Romaine; 
Winckelmann's  History  of  Ancient  Art;  Wrench's 
Recollections  of  Naples. 

But,  we  do  not  know  where  to  stop  in  enumera- 
tion. 

It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  pupils  pay  proper 
respect  to  the  books  which  have  so  great  intrinsic 


292  PUBLIC    LIBRARIES. 

value.  Over  the  cases,  the  Association  should  put 
a  Procul,  o  procul  este  profani  (and  for  that  matter 
prof  mice  as  well) ;  and  that  no  hand  should  reach 
out  for  a  volume  unless  clear  of  all  reminiscences 
of  the  palette.  Dirty  handling  is  a  communistic 
vice  of  all  society  collections;  and  it  is  a  peculiar 
grief  in  the  case  of  illustrated  works. 

The  Association  should  congratulate  itself  upon 
its  decided  beginning  in  book-collecting. 


LA  LIGUE  NATIONALS  FRANCAIS. 

THIS  library  was  first  started  by  the  "Ligue 
Nationale  Fran9ais  "  during  the  year  1874,  with 
books  donated.  On  the  fifth  of  October,  1874, 
the  date  of  the  first  published  report,  the  dona- 
tions amounted  to  two  thousand  one  hundred  and 
thirty-six  volumes.  The  library  was  formally 
opened  on  the  twenty-sixth  of  January,  1876,  in  the 
premises  still  occupied,  consisting  of  two  large 
communicating  rooms  on  the  first  floor  of  the 
Johnson  Building  on  Sutter  street. 

On  the  thirtieth  of  April,  1877,  the  collection 
consisted  of  ten  thousand  seven  hundred  and  sixty- 
three  volumes,  acquired  as  follows  : 

Donated  by  the   United  States  Government,  Or 

Public  Officers 445  volumes 

Donated  by  the  general  public 7,759      " 

Bought  by  the  Directors 2>559     " 


Total 10,763     " 

Number,  after  deducting  books  of  no  value,  9,669. 

The  library  having  no  funds  at  its  disposal,  had 
to  depend  to  a  certain  extent  on  voluntary  sub- 
scriptions or  donations. 

Strenuous  efforts  were  made  to  raise  funds  by 
balls,  picnics,  amateur  theatricals,  etc.,  in  addition 
to  the  amount  accruing  from  subscriptions,  but  the 
deficit  on  April  30,  1877,  was  six  hundred  and 


294  PUBLIC    LIBRARIES. 

sixty- two  dollars.  During  the  twelve  months 
ending  with  this  date,  the  books  taken  from  the 
library  by  subscribers  amounted  to  eight  thousand 
and  fifty-five  volumes,  of  which  eighty-one  arid 
eighty-nine  per  cent,  consisted  of  works  of  fiction. 

On  April  30,  1878,  the  number  of  volumes  had 
increased  to  eleven  thousand  and  thirty  -  nine. 
The  deficit  for  the  year  was  three  hundred  and 
ninety-four  dollars  and  thirty  cents,  or  a  gain  of 
two  hundred  and  sixty-seven  dollars  and  seventy 
cents  for  the  year.  The  number  of  books  with- 
drawn was  sixteen  thousand  three  hundred  and 
seventy-four,  over  double  the  circulation  of  the 
previous  year,  eighty-six  per  cent,  consisting  of 
works  of  fiction. 

The  library  contains  many  fine  sets  of  works  by 
the  most  famous  French  authors.  In  history  may 
be  noted  the  works  of  Mezeray,  Rollin,  Gervinus, 
Cantu,  Mommsen,  Grote,  Guizot,  Buckle,  as  well 
as  those  of  Thiers,  L.  Blanc,  Bancroft,  Irving, 
Michelet,  Henry  Martin,  Capefigue,  Vaulabelle, 
Lanfrey,  a  reprint  of  the  Moniteur  Universel,  con- 
sisting of  thirty-nine  illustrated  volumes;  also  a 
large  number  of  memoirs. 

In  classical  works  the  productions  of  Malherbes, 
Corneille,  Racine,  Boileau,  Moliere,  Mme.  de 
Sevigne,  Bossuet,  Voltaire,  Rousseau,  Buffon. 

Among  later  authors  are  noticeable  the  works 
of  Chateaubriant,  Mme.  de  Stael,  Lamartine,  V. 
Hugo,  A.  de  Musset,  Sainte-Beuve,  Taine,  Jules 
Simon,  and  many  others. 


LA    LIGUE    NATIONALE    FRANCAIS.  295 

Among  periodicals  and  illustrated  publications 
are  la  Revue  des  Deux  Mondes,  complete;  le 
1'Univers  illustre;  le  Monde  illustre;  le  Musee  Uni- 
versel;  le  Petit  Journal  pour  R ire;  la  Revue  Politique 
et  Litteraire;  la  Revue  Scientifique;  1'Echo  du  Pa- 
cifique;  le  Courrier  de  San  Francisco,  etc. 

The  library  also  includes  the  splendid  collection 
of  la  Gazette  des  Beaux-Arts,  in  thirty-five  vol- 
umes; Grand  Dictionnaire  Universel,  by  Larousse; 
Bayle's  Dictionary,  French  edition  of  1597;  Dic- 
tionnaire Technologique.  twenty  -  one  volumes; 
and  a  large  number  of  works  of  reference,  among 
others  an  almost  unique  collection  of  Laws,  Edicts 
and  Treaties  of  Peace,,  collected  from  1399. 

The  works  in  the  English  language  number 
about  one  thousand  five  hundred  and  sixty-nine 
volumes,  comprising  a  number  of  classical  works 
and  novels  by  the  best  English  and  American 
writers,  with  some  literary  and  scientific  periodicals, 
works  of  reference,  and  United  States  Government 
publications. 

The  terms  of  subscription  are  as  follows :  En- 
trance fee,  one  dollar;  monthly  fee,  fifty  cents. 
Subscribers  may  take  out  two  volumes,  to  be  kept 
not  longer  than  fifteen  days. 

The  library  is  open  every  day  (Sundays  and 
legal  holidays  excepted),  from  12  to  6  P.M.,  and 
from  7  to  10  P.  M. 


SOCIETY    OF    CALIFORNIA    PIONEERS. 

THIS  collection,  consisting  of  about  three  thou- 
sand volumes,  is  at  the  Pioneers'  Building,  on 
Montgomery  street,  in  San  Francisco.  It  consists 
chiefly  of  encyclopaedias,  architectural  and  scien- 
tific works,  biographies  and  histories,  the  early 
history  of  California  and  early  explorations  of  the 
Pacific  Coast  being  made  a  specialty. 

The  collection  contains  a  large  number  of  bound 
sets  of  such  periodicals  as  the  Atlantic,  Overland, 
London  Society,  Frazer's,  Scribner's,  Knicker- 
bocker, Temple  Bar,  etc.,  with  many  newspapers 
files  of  California. 

Among  Spanish  books  and  editions  of  some 
rarity  are  Torque  Monarchia  Indiana,  published  in 
Madrid,  in  1723,  in  three  volumes;  Historia  Gen- 
eral De  Los  Hechos  De  Los  Castellanos,  by  Leon, 
Decada  Segundaal  Rey  Nuestro  Senor,  four  vellum 
covered  volumes,  published  in  Madrid,  in  1726; 
and  De  Simboli  Transportati  al  Morale  D'al 
P'Adre  Daniello  Bartoli,  a  tiny  vellum-covered 
book,  published  in  Bologna,  in  1686. 

Other  books  not  often  seen  are  Furtenbach's 
Architectura  Universalis,  1635;  The  Knights  of 
St.  John  and  Management  of  its  Army,  published 
in  1685;  Nicholas  Machiavel's  works,  London, 
1610;  Rees'  Cyclopaedia,  four  folio  volumes,  Lon- 
don, 1716;  Cramer's  French  Dictionary,  three 


SOCIETY    OF    CALIFORNIA    PIONEERS.  297 

vellum-covered  volumes,  Paris,  1712;  The  Fable 
of  the  Bees,  1730:  Voyage  to  Arabia  the  Blest, 
1732;  and  The  English  Spy,  illustrated  by  Cruik- 
shank. 

The  room  devoted  to  library  purposes  is  a  large 
and  well-lighted  hall  on  the  first  floor  of  the 
Pioneers'  Building,  very  simply  but  attractively 
furnished.  Long  oak  tables,  covered  with  papers 
and  magazines,  extend  along  the  sides  of  the  room, 
and  cane  arm-chairs  are  distributed  about  the 
room.  The  cases  are  of  oak,  massive,  but  plainly 
finished;  the  carpet  a  Brussels,  of  tiny  moss 
figure,  the  colors  corresponding  with  the  oaken 
finish  of  the  room.  At  either  end  of  the  room  is 
a  fire-place  with  marble  mantel,  above  the  south 
mantel  a  full  sized  portrait  of  James  Lick,  the  gen- 
erous beneficiary  of  this  and  other  California  in- 
stitutions, representing  him  seated  in  a  large  easy 
chair,  his  right  arm  resting  on  a  marble-topped 
stand,  upon  which  is  a  crystal  vase  filled  with 
flowers.  In  one  corner  stands  a  bust  of  the 
lamented  Starr  King,  and  above  the  cases  two 
busts  of  pioneers. 

The  whole  room  is  well  in  keeping  with  the 
simple  habits  and  plain  tastes  of  many  of  the  mem- 
bers, and  at  the  same  time  a  pleasant  place  for 
pioneers  to  meet  together,  read,  smoke  or  gossip 
about  early  experience  of  '49. 


THE  MICROSCOPICAL  SOCIETY. 

THIS  library  is  of  a  peculiarly  special  character, 
consisting  of  a  little  over  four  hundred  volumes 
relating  principally  to  microscopy  and  optics,  and 
those  branches  of  natural  history  illustrated  by 
these  sciences.  It  is  believed  to  be  the  most  com- 
plete, of  its  kind,  in  the  United  States;  numbering 
among  its  volumes  every  work  of  any  value  that 
has  been  published  on  the  subject  of  the  micro- 
scope for  the  past  one  hundred  and  fifty  years,  as 
well  as  the  rarest  and  most  valuable  works  on  sub- 
jects connected  with  the  science  of  microscopy. 
These  are  in  different  languages,  English,  French, 
German,  Dutch,  Scandinavian  and  Latin;  and  are, 
in  most  instances,  profusely  and  beautifully  illus- 
trated in  the  highest  style  of  the  engraver's  and 
colorist's  art.  Among  them  may  be  mentioned: 
Ehrenberg's  Microgeologie,  in  two  vols.,  folio; 
Tulasne's  Great  Work  on  the  Fungi,  in  three  vols., 
folio;  Grenville's  Scottish  Cryptogamic  Flora,  in 
six  vols.;  Dictionnaire  Universal  d' Historic  Natur- 
elle,  thirteen  vols.  text,  three  vols.  plates;  Ste- 
phen's Entomology,  twelve  vols. ;  Agassiz'  Natural 
History  of  the  United  States,  four  vols.,  folio; 
besides  complete  sets  of  the  microscopic  journals 
and  other  scientific  periodicals. 

The  Society  was  formed  about  eight  years  since, 
and  numbers  some  forty  members.  Its  rooms  are 
in  Thurlow  Block,  on  Kearny  street. 


KNIGHTS  OF  PYTHIAS. 

THIS  library  is  at  the  Pythias  Castle,  on  Market 
street,  near  Fifth.  It  contains  about  fifteen  hun- 
dred volumes,  mostly  adapted  to  general  circula- 
tion among  the  members  of  the  Order,  and  was 
founded  four  years  ago,  when  Mr.  R.  B.  Wood- 
ward, of  Woodard's  Gardens,  contributed  two 
hundred  and  fifty  volumes.  It  is  supported  by 
the  twelve  lodges  of  this  Order  in  the  city. 


Y.  M.  C.  A. 

THE  library  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation consists  of  over  five  thousand  volumes,  and 
is  located  in  their  building,  on  Sutter  street.  The 
financial  reverses  of  the  Society  have  not  contrib- 
uted to  the  prosperity  of  the  library,  but  it  is  to  be 
hoped  that  the  dark  days  will  soon  pass  over.  The 
collection  is  very  general  in  character;  terms  the 
same  as  those  of  the  Mechanics'  Institute. 


SAN  JOSE   LIBRARY   ASSOCIATION. 

THIS  is  a  private  subscription  library,  of  four 
thousand  two  hundred  and  fifteen  volumes,  opened 
September  iQth,  1872.  It  occupies  two  rooms  in 
Knox  Block,  one,  sixteen  by  sixty-four  feet,  and 
the  other  sixteen  by  twenty  feet.  The  Librarian 
is  Geo.  W.  Fentress. 


NOTE. — It  is  a  matter  of  much  regret  that  we  are 
unable  to  present  any  account  of  the  splendid  scien- 
tific library  of  the  Academy  of  Science,  consisting 
of  more  than  sixteen  thousand  volumes;  many  of 
them  rare  and  even  unique.  An  elaborately  pre- 
pared description,  kindly  made  by  the  Librarian, 
Mr.  Troyer,  was  lost  in  the  mail,  when  too  late  to 
procure  another. 


TABLE 

GIVING  THE    NUMBER   OF   VOLUMES   IN   THE   VARIOUS   PRIVATE 
LAW  LIBRARIES  OF  SAN  FRANCISCO. 

G.  R.  Williams 600 

Lloyd  &  Newlands 3220 

M.  G.  Cobb 1 570 

Stewart,  Van  Clief  &  Herrin _. 1820 

H.  H.  Haight 1420 

J.  T.  Boyd 826 

H.  P.  Bowie 659 

Pratt  &  Metcalf 525 

Jarboe  &  Harrison 1 750 

H.  I.  Thornton 706 

McAllisters  &  Bergin 5150 

Winans  &  Belknap 2000 

Tilden  &  Wilson 980 

Wm.  Hayes 930 

Cowles  &  Drawn 675 

J.  F.  Finn 560 

W.  H.  Patterson 3690 

J.  B.  Harmon 1165 

C.  N.  Fox 925 

Gray  &  Haven i  ooo 

Cowdery  &  Preston 950 

O.  P.  Evans 500 

Stetson  &  Houghton 1036 

Milton  Andros 1402 

Van  Dyke  &  Wells 1050 

Delos  Lake 1450 

Robinson,  Olney  &  Byrne 984 

S.  M.  Wilson 3450 


3O2  TABLE. 

Napthaly,  Freidenreich  &  Ackerman 1627 

D.  J.  Murphy .       800 

C.  B.  Darwin 900 

Coghlan  &  McClure 550 

Wheaton  &  Scrivner 800 

L.  Quint 1 200 

K.  J.  d-  J.  H.  Moore 860 

T.  R.  Wise 650 

Estee  &  Boalt i  ooo 

Robert  Harrison 1000 

S.  \V.  Holladay 500 

J .  C.  Can- 500 

\Vm.  Blanding 550 

S.  V.  Smith 750 

John  Garber ..1550 

Columbus  Bartlett 700 

R.  P.  &  J.  Clement 1 500 


INDEX. 


NOTE. — In  explanation  it  may  be  well  to  vay  that  it  was  found  impracticable  to  make 
a  complete  index,  but  deemed  expedient  to  substitute  what  might  be  called  a  general 
guide  to  the  contents,  indicating  works  as  far  as  possible  by  their  character,  naming  by 
title  only  a  few  choice  or  notable  books  that  could  not  be  readily  classified. 


Aldus,  76-7. 

Aldine  publications,  76,  130,  185,  222,  258. 

Americana,  13-60,  74,  99-104,  151,  208-13, 
208. 

Anacrcon,  183-5. 

Archaeology,  12,  216,  266. 

Architectural  works,  167,  246,  266,  275,  296. 

Art  works,  9,  64,  69,  74,  95,  106,  113,  117, 
121,  131,  150,  154,  156,  172,  175,  178, 
190,  194,  204,  206,  217,  220,  223,  229, 
23J>  235>  237>  238>  248>  257~58>  268,  275, 
290-92. 

Autographical  collection,  137. 

Bible,  73,  222,  228. 

Binding,  early,  19,  20,  79-80,  114,  128,  129. 
Boccacio's  Decameron,  96,  128,  140,  182. 
British  Parliamentary  Debates,  150. 
British  Parliamentary  History,  150. 
Byron,  design  for  monument  in  London,  by 

W.W.  Story,  195. 
works,  original  edition,  121. 

Caldinie's  Anatomy,  119, 
California, — 

geolog.  survey,  114,  203. 

history,  46-7,  101-02,  151-52. 

miscellaneous  works  relating  to,   212- 
13,  282. 

Mss.  102. 

travels  and  voyages,  37-9,  151. 
Classics,   notable  copies  and   editions,   73, 

281. 
Curios,  in,  125-29, 185,  222-24, 233>  24°t  249» 

258~59>  2?6,  283-85,  289. 

Dante's  Inferno,  164. 
De  Foe,  original  editions,  128,  129. 
Don  Quixote,  104,  185,  217. 
Dramatic  literature,  n,  113,  247. 

Elzevirs,  78. 

publications,  79,  80,  130,  258. 
England's  Helicon,  126. 
Euclid,  155. 
Extra  illustrated  works,  95-7,  112-13,  13$- 


Fac-similes,  74,  183-84. 

Free  thought,  67,  246. 

French  Revolution,  collection  on,  131-33. 

Geological  works,  156. 

Hebrew  works,  62,  63,  236-37. 

Herpetology  of  North  America,  Holbrook's 
120. 

History,  general,  279-80. 

Homeric  collection,  181-82. 

Interiors,  library,  descriptions  of,  10,  71,  92, 
98,  106,  108,  115,  116,  123,  134,  135,  141, 
145,  147,  170,  179,  190,  193,  201,  206, 
219,  221,  232,  235,  255,  264-5. 

Lexicons  and  cyclopaedias,  248,  266-67. 

Mabinogion,  186. 

Maps,  collection  of,  105. 

Memoirs,  64,  247. 

Mexican  history,  40-6,  99-104,  140,  213. 

Microscopical  works,  298. 

Milton,  John,  suppressed  works,  72-3. 

Mining  and  metallurgy,  61,  64,  99-100. 

Moliere,  126. 

Murmerer,  The,  125^ 

Natural  history,  225-26. 
Newspapers  and  Journalism,  176-77. 
Nuremburg  Chronicle,  111-12. 

Ornithology,  119. 

Pacific  coast,  works  relating  to,  13-60. 
aboriginal  history,  50-2. 
aboriginal  writings,  54-60. 
botanical  works,  49. 
California  history,  46-7. 
California  newspaper  files,  176-7. 
California,  early  printing,  53-4. 
literature,  early  periodic,  52--*. 
literature,  early  religious,  48-9. 
literature,  rare  and  early,  33  7. 
manuscripts,  16-33,  IO2- 
medical  treatises,  early,  49. 


304 


INDEX. 


Pacific  coast,  works  relating  to — Continued. 

Mexican  history,  40-6. 

travels,  personal,  39. 

voyages,  early,  37-9. 
i^es,  personal,  37. 
Patent  Reports,  275. 
Philology,  81-9,  256. 
Pindar,  early,  175. 
Political  economy,  works  on,  232,  240,  245, 

255- 
Polyglot  collections,  81-9. 

Religious,  fundamental  works,  88,  218. 
Ruskm,  choice  editions,  173,  204. 

Scandinavian  history,  238. 

Scientific  works  and  publications,  233,  241, 

256-7,  273-5. 

Scotland,  works  relating  to,  109. 
Shakespeare,  107. 

Boydell,  before  letter  proof,  107. 


Spanish-American  colonization,  98-104. 

Spanish  bibliography  and  literature,  159  -67. 

Spanish  colonization,  early,  74. 

Stephanus,  77-8. 

St.  I.-adore,  works,  165. 

Sydenham  Society,  older,  publications,  120. 

Tennyson,  collection,  182-3. 

Lotus  Eaters,  143. 
Titian,  original,  168. 
Typography,  collection  on,  112. 

de  Utinus,  Leonardus, — 

Quadragesimale  Aureum,  125. 

Voltaire,  La  Pucelle  d'Orleans,  127. 
Voyages  and  Travels,  37-9,   151,  228,  239, 
279. 

Wolfgang  publications,  80. 


University  of  California  Library 
Los  Angeles 

Tlris  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


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